Variable Stars in Cygnus: Estimating Magnitudes

The W Cyg Field Slide #1 is the first of a series of 7 slides taken of the variable star over a period of approximately 150 days. The set covers nearly the entire range from maximum magnitude (brightest) to minimum magnitude (dimmest.) You will note as you move through the slides that W Cyg does not appear in exactly the same spot in each of the slides. This is because it is difficult for a photographer to set up in the exact same spot when photographing the sky several days apart. The slides also appear in different hues and sometimes with fewer stars in the field. This is the result of different atmospheric conditions on the dates that Cygnus and W Cyg were photographed.

A finder slide with W Cyg and the comparison stars circled has been provided below. Use it to locate W Cyg and the magnitudes of the comparison stars in the sequence of images beneath it.