<p>It's a star with pretty strong diffraction spikes.<br>
To find out which one it is, you can just look up its coordinates in databases like <a href="http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-fcoo" rel="noreferrer">SIMBAD</a>. 
Then you find that it is the star <a href="http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=%4032161&amp;Name=*%20ksi%20Cyg&amp;submit=submit" rel="noreferrer">Xi Cygni</a>.
You can also find some information on it on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xi_Cygni" rel="noreferrer">Wikipedia</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-30T13:01:47.693Z
Looks more like a ton of false-color and possibly self-diffraction rings from circular aperture.
Carl Witthoft
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-30T19:29:21.880Z
Following the SIMBAD link to the Aladin Lite view, [PanSTARRS/DR1](http://aladin.unistra.fr/AladinLite/?target=21%2004%2055.862%2B43%2055%2040.26&fov=0.59&survey=P%2FPanSTARRS%2FDR1%2Fcolor-z-zg-g) is a nice alternate. Google Sky looks like DSS2 + DSS2/blue.
Mike G
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-02T12:43:09.027Z
@CarlWitthoft thank you, learning about diffraction spikes is exactly what I was looking for without knowing what I was looking for.
user2315111
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-30T09:07:29.060Z
2019-08-30T09:07:29.060Z
SpaceCore
<p>I was looking through the Google Sky map, when <a href="https://www.google.com/sky/#latitude=43.91785094791645&amp;longitude=-223.85801669893698&amp;zoom=11&amp;Spitzer=0.00&amp;ChandraXO=0.00&amp;Galex=0.00&amp;IRAS=0.00&amp;WMAP=0.00&amp;Cassini=0.00&amp;slide=1&amp;mI=-1&amp;oI=-1" rel="noreferrer">an object</a> caught my eye:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/18nxT.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/18nxT.jpg" alt="Object at 43.91785094791645 latitude, -223.85801669893698 longitude"></a></p>

<p>I am really curious as to what this is (just a big star? then why does it look so peculiar?) </p>

<p>It's hard to search for online because I don't know which words to use. If anyone can point me in the right directon please?</p>

<identify-this-object>
What am I looking at here at Google Sky?
user2315111
# What am I looking at here at Google Sky?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-08-30)

I was looking through the Google Sky map, when [an object](https://www.google.com/sky/#latitude=43.91785094791645&longitude=-223.85801669893698&zoom=11&Spitzer=0.00&ChandraXO=0.00&Galex=0.00&IRAS=0.00&WMAP=0.00&Cassini=0.00&slide=1&mI=-1&oI=-1) caught my eye:

[![Object at 43.91785094791645 latitude, -223.85801669893698 longitude](https://i.sstatic.net/18nxT.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/18nxT.jpg)

I am really curious as to what this is (just a big star? then why does it look so peculiar?)

It's hard to search for online because I don't know which words to use. If anyone can point me in the right directon please?

**Tags:** identify-this-object

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-08-30. Score: 13 | Accepted answer

It's a star with pretty strong diffraction spikes.  
To find out which one it is, you can just look up its coordinates in databases like [SIMBAD](http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-fcoo).
Then you find that it is the star [Xi Cygni](http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=%4032161&Name=*%20ksi%20Cyg&submit=submit).
You can also find some information on it on [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xi_Cygni).

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Looks more like a ton of false-color and possibly self-diffraction rings from circular aperture.  
> **username_3**: Following the SIMBAD link to the Aladin Lite view, [PanSTARRS/DR1](http://aladin.unistra.fr/AladinLite/?target=21%2004%2055.862%2B43%2055%2040.26&fov=0.59&survey=P%2FPanSTARRS%2FDR1%2Fcolor-z-zg-g) is a nice alternate. Google Sky looks like DSS2 + DSS2/blue.  
> **username_0**: @CarlWitthoft thank you, learning about diffraction spikes is exactly what I was looking for without knowing what I was looking for.  

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