NOTABLE STARS A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z                    HOME ABOUT CATEGORIES SITE MAP COPYRIGHT ADVERTISE CONTACT entire Web this site Sadr (Gamma Cygni) Gamma Cyg and IC 1318. Image: Ed Szczepanski The third brightest star in the constellation Cygnus and the center star of the Northern Cross. Sadr lies at the northern end of the Great Rift with a spectacular portion of the Milky Way as a backdrop. Its name comes from an Arabic phrase meaning “the hen’s breast.” Unlike most supergiants, which are either fairly hot or quite cool and reddish, Sadr is yellow-white and in the mid-temperature range. It has left the main sequence and is now near a region of temperature and luminosity in which stars become unstable and pulsate. Visual magnitude 2.23 Absolute magnitude -6.12 Spectral type F8Ib Surface temperature 6,500 K Luminosity 65,000 Lsun Mass 12 Msun Distance 1,520 light-years Position R.A. 20h 22m 13.7s, Dec. +40° 15' 24" Related category    • NOTABLE STARS Also on this site: Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy & Sustainable Living Encyclopedia of History Transport Concepts & Designs (partner site) BACK TO TOP