Cygnus

Cyg star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).

One of the 88 IAU constellations.

Etymology and History

Cyg, Lyr, Del, Aql and Sge on the Kugel Globe (1st century BCE), SMH 2024.

The Greek constellation was originally named "The Bird" (ornithos).

Origin of Constellation

Greco-Roman

Aratus

[275] Yes, there is even a dappled Bird accompanying Zeus, hazy in some parts, while other parts on it bristle with stars, not very bright, though still not dim. Just like a bird in fair-weather flight, it glides on the breeze towards the horizon, stretching its right wing-tip in the direction of Cepheus’ right hand, [281] while close to its left wing lies the prancing Horse. (Kidd 1997)

Almagest Ὅρνες (Bird).

id	Greek (Heiberg 1898)	English (Toomer 1984)	ident.
	Ὅρυιθος ἀστερισμός.	Constellation of Cygnus
1	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ στόματος.	The star on the beak	bet Cyg
2	ὁ τούτῳ ἐπόμενος καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς.	The one to the rear of this, on the head	phi Cyg
3	ὁ ἐν μέσῳ τῷ τραχήλῳ	The star in the middle of the neck	eta Cyg
4	ὁ ἐν τῷ στήθει	The star in the breast	gam Cyg
5	ὁ ἐν τῇ οὐρᾷ λαμπρός	The bright star in the tail	alf Cyg
6	ὁ ἐυ τῷ ἀγκῶνι τῆς δεξιᾶς πτέρυγος	The star in the bend of the right wing	del Cyg
7	τῶν ἐκ τῷ δεξιῷ ταρσῷ ἡ’ ὁ νότιος	The southernmost of the 3 in the right wing-feathers	tet Cyg
8	ὁ μέσος τῶν τριῶν	The middle one of the three	iot Cyg
9	ὁ βόρειος αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπ’ ἄκρου τοῦ ταρσοῦ	The northernmost of them, on the tip of the wing-feathers	kap Cyg
10	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀγκῶνος τῆς ἀριστερᾶς πτέρυγος	The star on the bend of the left wing	eps Cyg
11	ὁ βορειότερος αὐτῶν καὶ ἐν μέσῃ τῇ αὐτῇ πτέρυγι	The star north of this, in the middle of the same wing	lam Cyg
12	ὁ ἐν ἄκρῳ τῷ ταρσῷ τῆς ἀριστερᾶς πτέρυγος	The star in the tip of the feathers of the left wing	zet Cyg
13	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ ποδός	The star on the left leg	nu Cyg
14	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ γόρατος.	The star on the left knee	xi Cyg
15	τῶν ἐν τῷ δεξιῷ ποῦὶ β ὁ προηγούμευος	The more advanced of the 2 stars in the right leg	omi1 Cyg
16	ὁ ἐπόμενος αὐτῶν	The one to the rear	omi2 Cyg
17	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ γόνατος νεφελοειδής.	The nebulous star on the right knee	ome Cyg
	ὁ ἀστέρες ἰς, ὥν β’ μεγέθους α, γ’ ἔ, δ’ 3, ε’ β.	17 stars, 1 of the second magnitude, 5 of the third, 9 of the fourth, 2 of the fifth
	Οἱ περὶ αὐτὸν ἀμόρφωτοι.	Stars around [Cygnus] outside the constellation
18	τῶν ὑπὸ τὴν ἀριστερὰν πτέρυγα ᾑ ὁ νοτιώτερος.	The southernmost of the 2 stars under the left wing	tau Cyg
19	ὁ βορειότερος αὐτῶν	The northernmost of them	sig Cyg
	ἀστέρες β μεγέθους ὀ΄.	2 stars of the fourth magnitude

Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation

• 

  Cygnus in Fortin's Atlas Céleste, 3rd edition (1795).

References

• References (general)
• References (Babylonian)
• References (ancient Greco-Roman)
• References (medieval)