Deneb and nebulae Sh2-112 and Sh2-115

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Deneb is the brightest star in the Cygnus constellation and one of the brightest stars in the night sky, with apparent magnitude 1.25.
Deneb's absolute magnitude is −8.73, placing it among the most luminous stars known. Deneb's exact distance from the Earth is a matter of some dispute; figures from 1600 to 3200 light years appear on various online sources. Estimates for Deneb's luminosity range from about 60,000 to 250,000 times the Sun's brightness. If placed at the same distance of Sirius from us, Deneb would be brighter than the full moon.

The full-resolution version of this image is about 103 Megapixels and has a resolution of about 1 arc-second per pixel. The area of sky shown here is about 2,8° x 2,8° (for comparison, the full-Moon disc has an average diameter of about 0,5°). The color composite has been completed on January 1, 2006.
The full-resolution image can generally be obtained. Typical applications are reproduction in books, magazines and periodicals, use for public exhibitions in planetariums, museums, talks, etc. If interested, please read my policy or e-mail me with your request.

Copyright: Davide De Martin.

This color composite image is based on data coming from several photographic plates taken between 1989 and 1992 through the Palomar Observatory's 48-inch (1,2-meter) Samuel Oschin Telescope as a part of the second National Geographic Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS II). The photographs were recorded on two type of glass photographic plates - one sensitive to red light and the other to blue - that later were digitized.
Credit: Caltech, Palomar Observatory, Digitized Sky Survey.