The Summer Triangle is hugely popular among stargazers and should be near the top of the list of summer targets to learn. It is made up of three stars: Vega, Deneb and Altair. Not only are these stars bright and beautiful, within the triangle you'll find a bright arm of the Milky Way flowing through full with cool targets.
Now don't be confused... the Summer Triangle is not a constellation. Instead, it is an asterism which means it's an unofficial grouping of stars. You know another asterism that is even more popular: the Big Dipper!
So how does one find the Summer Triangle? It's easy -- turn south and look up for very bright Vega in the constellation Lyra the Harp. Don't confuse Vega with Arcturus which is slightly brighter but lower and much further west (right).
Now turn left a bit and look for bright Deneb in the Constellation Cygnus the Swan. Below Vega, look for bright Altair in Aquila the Eagle. Vega and Altair are bright because they are close at 25 and 17 light years away. But Deneb, at possibly 3,000 light years away, is bright only because of its incredible size and luminosity.
As an added benefit, once you learn the Summer Triangle, you'll use it to find dozens of other cool summer targets.
Viewing Summer Triangle
Level
Easy
Rating
Best Viewing
June through October
Find
Turn south and look up for three bright stars: Vega, brightest and highest, Deneb to the left and Altair below Vega. Arcturus, slightly brighter than Vega but lower and to the right (west) is further away and not part of the Summer Triangle.
Try drawing the Summer Triangle with bright stars, lines and labels.
The Milky Way flows through the Summer Triangle. Using binoculars, countless stars will be visible. Take time to explore and enjoy.
