Aquila (The Eagle)

Zeus’s eagle carrying Altair, the flattened fast-spinning corner of the Summer Triangle.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Altair forms the Summer Triangle with Vega and Deneb.
• Altair spins in about nine hours, flattening it visibly at the poles.
• In East Asia’s Tanabata story, Altair is the cowherd separated from the weaver girl Vega by the celestial river.

Specifications & Metrics

• BRIGHTEST STAR: Altair (α Aql)
• HEMISPHERE: Equatorial
• BEST VIEWED: August