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 93830HIP 93833HIP 93835HIP 93836HIP 93840HIP 93809HIP 93842HIP 93846HIP 93850HIP 93856HIP 93865HIP 93871HIP 93892HIP 93896HIP 93900HIP 93878HIP 94087HIP 94088HIP 94089HIP 94090HIP 94092HIP 94295HIP 94297HIP 94299HIP 94300HIP 94305HIP 94314HIP 94316HIP 94317HIP 94319HIP 94321HIP 94330HIP 94331HIP 94349HIP 94360HIP 94774HIP 94380HIP 94381HIP 94383HIP 94384HIP 94386HIP 94390HIP 94395HIP 94404HIP 94423HIP 94430HIP 94436HIP 94445

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.