Albireo, also known as
Beta Cygni, is the third magnitude Beta star of the constellation
Cygnus. It is a
double star with beautiful contrasting colors described differently by many astronomers, from one star being
bluish to green and the other from orange, yellow, or gold. The star has also been called "
The Eye of the Swan". Romantic astronomers have called the pair
topaz and
sapphire, and the pair are seperated at 0.5 arcmins, about 410
light years away.
The name of the constellation itself has been confused and
mistranslated, which means it means nothing at all in regard to its position as the head of Cygnus
the Swan.