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 96301HIP 96305HIP 96308HIP 96309HIP 98171HIP 98179HIP 98187HIP 99250HIP 99253HIP 99263HIP 99265HIP 99266HIP 96312HIP 96318HIP 96325HIP 98191HIP 98199HIP 98201HIP 98203HIP 98210HIP 99282HIP 99289HIP 99295HIP 99297HIP 99298HIP 99300HIP 96339HIP 96342HIP 96349HIP 96351HIP 96368HIP 98217HIP 98218HIP 98220HIP 98223HIP 98227HIP 98232HIP 98241HIP 96372HIP 96376HIP 96378HIP 96379HIP 96388HIP 96392HIP 96400HIP 98250HIP 9825225Ome1Aql

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.