DENEB (Alpha Cygni). One of the truly great stars of our Galaxy, a class A (A2) supergiant, Deneb serves a three-fold role among the constellations. Its very name tells the first. "Deneb" is from an Arabic word meaning "tail," as this first magnitude (1.25) star, the 19th brightest as it appears in our sky, represents the tail of Cygnus the Swan, a classical figure seen flying perpetually to the south along the route of the Milky Way. As the constellation's luminary, the star is also Alpha Cygni. [Text from Jim Kaler, Prof. Emeritus of Astronomy, University of Illinois]