This unusual motion across our sky has earned 61 Cygni the nickname the Flying Star. Two images showing the apparent motion of the double star 61 Cygni over nearly ten years. (@Dave_StarGeezer) April 19, 202561 Cygni has a high proper motionSo why does this star have such a high proper motion? While not the closest star to the sun (that honor goes to the Alpha Centauri system), 61 Cygni is just 11.4 light-years distant. The 61 Cygni binary system is the 15th-nearest known star system to us.