Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Thursday, July 21st.  Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 3 minutes, setting at 9:20.   The moon, 2 days before last quarter, will rise at 11:56 this evening.  Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:17.

High in the east northeast as it gets dark flies the constellation of Cygnus the swan.  This constellation is also known as the Northern Cross.  The cross is seen lying on its side with the bright star Deneb at the head of the cross to the left.  The rest of the cross is delineated in the stars to the right.  As a swan, Deneb is the tail, the stars of the crosspiece of the cross are the leading edges of wings as Cygnus flies south through the Milky Way.  There are faint stars that also define the tips and trailing edges of its wings.  It is a very good portrayal of a flying swan, like the mute swans we see on the wing.  In Cygnus we are looking in the direction that the sun and the earth are traveling as we orbit the center of the Milky Way.

* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan.  They may be different for your location.

Addendum

Cygnus The Swan Created using Stellarium.

Click to enlarge.