Aquila (constellation)

Aquila
Constellation
Aquila
AbbreviationAql
GenitiveAquilae[1]
Pronunciation/ˈækwɪlə/ Áquila,
occasionally /əˈkwɪlə/;
genitive /ˈækwɪl/
Symbolismthe Eagle[1]
Right ascension18h 41m 18.2958s20h 38m 23.7231s[2]
Declination18.6882229°–−11.8664360°[2]
Area652 sq. deg. (22nd)
Main stars10[1]
Bayer/Flamsteed
stars
65
Stars with planets9
Stars brighter than 3.00m3
Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly)2
Brightest starAltair (α Aql) (0.76m)
Messier objects0
Meteor showers
Bordering
constellations
Visible at latitudes between +90° and −75°.
Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of August.

Aquila is a constellation on the celestial equator. Its name is Latin for 'eagle' and it represents the bird that carried Zeus/Jupiter's thunderbolts in Greek-Roman mythology.

Its brightest star, Altair, is one vertex of the Summer Triangle asterism. The constellation is best seen in the northern summer, as it is located along the Milky Way. Because of this location, many clusters and nebulae are found within its borders, but they are dim and galaxies are few.

  1. ^ a b c Ridpath 2001, pp. 80–82
  2. ^ a b "Aquila, constellation boundary". The Constellations. International Astronomical Union. Retrieved 14 February 2014.