Aquila

Aquila, the Eagle, is a constellation on the celestial equator, making it visible from most of the world. Its brightest star, Altair, is one of the closest and fastest-rotating stars visible to the naked eye, completing one rotation every 10.4 hours. Altair forms part of the Summer Triangle with Vega and Deneb. Eta Aquilae is one of the brightest Cepheid variables.

The Hercules family includes constellations associated with the legendary strongman and his twelve labors. It is the second-largest constellation family after Ursa Major, encompassing much of the summer sky visible from northern latitudes. Hercules himself is the fifth-largest constellation by area, though none of his stars are brighter than third magnitude — a fitting irony for such a famous figure.

Mythology & History

Heracles (Hercules in Roman tradition) was the greatest of Greek heroes, a son of Zeus known for his extraordinary strength. His twelve labors — from slaying the Nemean Lion to capturing Cerberus — are reflected in several constellations. The constellation Hercules is depicted kneeling, and its central asterism, the Keystone, represents the hero's torso. Associated constellations include Hydra (the multi-headed serpent), Sagitta (the arrow), Lyra (Orpheus's lyre, a fellow Argonaut), and Aquila (Zeus's eagle). Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown, was Ariadne's wedding crown placed in the sky by Dionysus.

Observation Tips

Hercules family constellations dominate the summer sky. The Keystone asterism in Hercules contains M13, the Great Hercules Cluster — one of the finest globular clusters in the northern sky, containing over 300,000 stars visible as a fuzzy patch to the naked eye. Lyra hosts Vega, the fifth-brightest star in the sky and a vertex of the Summer Triangle. The Ring Nebula (M57) between Beta and Gamma Lyrae is a favorite planetary nebula for amateur astronomers.

HIP 97701HIP 97704HIP 97709HIP 99547HIP 99549HIP 99552HIP 99554HIP 99558HIP 97732HIP 92252HIP 92255HIP 97737HIP 99575HIP 99577HIP 99600HIP 99602HIP 99604HIP 99607HIP 97745HIP 97747HIP 97762HIP 92475HIP 92477HIP 92486HIP 92494HIP 97766HIP 92542HIP 92546HIP 92548HIP 97767HIP 97768HIP 92553HIP 92557HIP 92559HIP 92587HIP 92588HIP 92600HIP 92617HIP 92628HIP 97776HIP 99611HIP 99623HIP 99624HIP 92955HIP 93028HIP 93115HIP 93317HIP 93332

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Aquila constellation?
Aquila (Aql) is one of the 88 IAU-recognized constellations in the Northern hemisphere. Aquila, the Eagle, is a constellation on the celestial equator, making it visible from most of the world. Its brightest star, Altair, is one of the closest and fastest-rotating stars visible to the na
How many stars are cataloged in Aquila?
StarFYI currently catalogs 1,671 stars in the constellation Aquila.
What is the brightest star in Aquila?
The brightest star in Aquila is Altair.
How large is the Aquila constellation?
Aquila covers 652.47 square degrees of the sky.
What family does Aquila belong to?
Aquila belongs to the Hercules Family of constellations.