Discover the process of finding Cygnus X-1, the black hole, in the night sky yourself, with our comprehensive guide.
In the vast expanse of the cosmos, one of the most intriguing celestial objects lies hidden, invisible to the naked eye - the black hole Cygnus X-1. This enigmatic object was first identified as a black hole by astronomers Paul Murdin and Louise Webster in 1971.
Located in the constellation Cygnus, the star HDE 226868 serves as a guidepost for finding this elusive black hole. In the October 2021 issue of our website, a guide for locating HDE 226868 was published. From the star, one must head 18 arcminutes east to find mag. +8.9 TYC2678-2291-1. A drift 8 arcminutes to the north of TYC2678-2291-1 and a fraction west will lead you to HDE 226868.
HDE 226868 is a star of similar brightness to TYC2678-2291-1, and an arcminute to the north of HDE 226868 lies a mag. +10 star. The objects orbit each other, separated by just 0.2 Astronomical Units (AU).
Cygnus X-1 is one component in a high mass X-ray binary system, the other being a supergiant variable star, HDE 226868 (HIP 98298). The resulting accretion disk around the black hole is energetic and hot, emitting X-rays that gave away the existence of the HDE 226868's companion black hole.
As a black hole, Cygnus X-1 is an object so massive that its escape velocity has exceeded the speed of light. This means that no light can escape, leading to many strange space and time related phenomena. However, by observing HDE 226868, one is also observing the black hole Cygnus X-1.
For those who wish to confirm the location of Cygnus X-1, they can email contactus@our website. HDE 226868 is located 25 arcminutes east and 6 arcminutes north of Eta Cygni, making it a fascinating target for stargazers and astronomers alike.
In the year 2022, the star HDE 226868 continues to shine in the constellation Cygnus, a testament to the enduring allure of the universe's mysteries.
