The small constellation, Aquila, has been known as the Eagle since ancient times. It lies above the celestial equator which means that, if you were viewing from earth's equator, it would appear directly overhead at times. From Starry Hill, it appears moderately low in the southern sky throughout the summer.
Aquila is easy to find because of its brightest star, Altair, the flying eagle. Along with the stars Deneb and Vega, these form the famous Summer Triangle. To be sure you are looking at Altair, look for the pair of stars that flank it, Tarazed and Alshain. Together, these three stars form a lovely grouping in our sky.
Nearly all of the other bright stars of Aquila are named using the Greek alphabet (Iota, Theta, Lambda, etc). However, look at the map above and find Deneb al Okab next to two stars. Oddly, this name applies to both stars. It means tail of the eagle. Go figure!
Aquila has a bright arm of the Milky Way flowing through so use binoculars or a telescope to explore them. There is a much-loved star cluster named the Wild Duck nearby. Technically, the Wild Duck is not in Aquila but we use Altair and Aquila to find it. For more info, see the constellation Scutum.
Viewing Aquila, the Eagle
Level
Easy
Rating
Best Viewing
June through November
Find
The easiest way to find Aquila is to first find all three stars of the Summer Triangle: Vega, Altair and Deneb. Once you have found Altair, use it to find the other stars that form the constellation. If you need help, use the link below to view Summer Constellations and then the Summer Triangle.
Try drawing Aquila with bright stars, lines and labels.
The Milky Way flows through Aquila. With binoculars, explore its thousands of stars. Take time and enjoy.
