| Aquila | |
larger map | |
| Abbreviation | Aql |
| Genitive | Aquilae |
| Meaning in English | the Eagle |
| Right ascension | 20 h |
| Declination | 5° |
| Visible to latitude | Between 85° and -75° |
| On meridian | 9 p.m., April 15 |
| Area - Total | Ranked 22th 652 sq. deg. |
| Number of stars with apparent magnitude < 3 | 3 |
| Brightest star - Apparent magnitude | Altair (α Aquilae) 0.77 |
| Meteor showers | Leonids |
| Bordering constellations | |
Aquila was one of the 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy. It lies roughly at the celestial equator. The alpha star, Altair, is a vertex of the so-called "Summer Triangle".
Two major novae have been observed in Aquila; the first one was in 389 BC and was recorded to be as bright as Venus, the other shone brighter than Altair.
The variable star η Aquilae is one of the brightest Cepheids; its brightness varies from 4.1 mag to 5.3 mag every 7.2 days. The double star 15 Aquilae is a yellow K star of 5.4 mag accompanied by a 7th mag star; it can easily be observed with small telescopes.
Early civilizations confused the eagle with the vulture and the name of this constellation was also known as Vultur to the Romans. The name Aquila is also the Roman mythological equivalent of Boreas.
In the Chinese love story of Qi Qiao Jie, Niu Lang (Altair) and his two children (Aquila -β and -γ) are separated forever from their mother Zhi Nu (Vega) who is on the far side of the river, the Milky Way.
