φ Cygni is a double-lined spectroscopic binary system, which means that the absorption lines of both components are visible in the spectrum. The two sets of spectral lines are almost identical and both stars are assigned a spectral type of K0III, meaning they have evolved into giants. They are considered to be red clump giants, stars that have begun core helium fusion and lie on the horizontal branch but because of their metallicity and the size of their hydrogen envelope they are found very close to the red giant branch.[8][12] The two stars are assumed to have the same age, which would be around 650 million years.[9][6] The pair have an orbital period of 434.208 days, or 1.2 Earth years, a semimajor axis of 26.9 mas, and a high eccentricity of 0.56.[7]
^ abcdFernie, J. D. (June 1969), "UBV observations of miscellaneous stars", Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, 63: 133–135, Bibcode:1969JRASC..63..133F.
^ abArmstrong, J. T; Hummel, C. A; Quirrenbach, A; Buscher, D. F; Mozurkewich, D; Vivekanand, M; Simon, R. S; Denison, C. S; Johnston, K. J; Pan, X.-P; Shao, M; Colavita, M. M (1992). "The orbit of Phi Cygni measured with long-baseline optical interferometry - Component masses and absolute magnitudes". Astronomical Journal. 104: 2217. Bibcode:1992AJ....104.2217A. doi:10.1086/116396.
^ abcFekel, F. C (2004). "The Spectroscopic Orbit of φ Cygni, a System with Two Late-Type Giants". The Environment and Evolution of Double and Multiple Stars. 21: 63. Bibcode:2004RMxAC..21...63F.
^Armstrong, J. T; Hummel, C. A; Quirrenbach, A; Buscher, D. F; Mozurkewich, D; Vivekanand, M; Simon, R. S; Denison, C. S; Johnston, K. J; Pan, X.-P; Shao, M; Colavita, M. M (1992). "The orbit of Phi Cygni measured with long-baseline optical interferometry - Component masses and absolute magnitudes". Astronomical Journal. 104: 2217. arXiv:1304.2530. Bibcode:1992AJ....104.2217A. doi:10.1086/116396.