The constellation Cygnus returns to the Northern Sky this month, rising up over the horizon in the northeast an hour after sunset. Cygnus is variously known as the swan, the Northern Cross, and the goose upon which the Old Mother Goose rides in the ditty: Old Mother Goose when she wanted to wander would fly through the air on a very fine gander. This is a whimsical reference to Cygnus, as it appears to fly along the path of the Milky Way.
The story behind Mother Goose and Cygnus dates back at least to the late 1600s. This was during the time when Louis XIV reigned as King of France. Louis XIV was known as the Sun King, in part because of his opulent lifestyle. But Louis was also responsible for having the Paris Observatory built, for studying the night sky. At the same time, he passed a decree that lanterns should be hung along all the streets of Paris. This resulted in Paris being known throughout the world as the City of Lights.
Charles Perrault worked in the service of Louis XIV. Charles is best-known as the originator of the literary genre known as the fairy tale. In 1697 he published the book Tales of the Past with Morals, which was subtitled Tales of Mother Goose. And at the same time that Charles Perrault was publishing this book, a supernova exploded in the region of the constellation Cygnus.
The star at the beak of Cygnus has the name Albireo. When you look for this star, know that the "Mother Goose Supernova" exploded near there over 300 years ago.