The variability of R Cygni was first discovered by Norman Pogson, the father of the magnitude scale of stars, in 1852. Studies since its discovery reveal that R Cyg has a mean visual magnitude of 7.5 at maximum and 13.9 at minimum, a mean period of 429.2 days, and is of spectral type S (Wallerstein et al. 1987). With its large amplitude light variation, long period, and spectral type, R Cyg is classified as belonging to the pulsating cool red giant class of variable stars, known as the Mira variable stars