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 94627HIP 94856HIP 95055HIP 95112HIP 95121HIP 95148HIP 95152HIP 95155HIP 95158HIP 95161HIP 95181HIP 95191HIP 95212HIP 97105HIP 97145HIP 96270HIP 97212HIP 97275HIP 97308HIP 97398HIP 97488HIP 97489HIP 97492HIP 97499HIP 95598HIP 95618HIP 95620HIP 95622HIP 97510HIP 95649HIP 95651HIP 95652HIP 96356HIP 97519HIP 97524HIP 95658HIP 95659HIP 96403HIP 96435HIP 95664HIP 97549HIP 97550HIP 97555HIP 95678HIP 95680HIP 95682HIP 95696HIP 95697

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.