Eagle · pronounced Aquila. Aquila, meaning “Eagle,” is an official IAU constellation centred near right ascension 19.4 hours and declination 8°. Its observing character is defined by the named stars and targets below. The eagle was identified in Mesopotamian and Greek sky lore. In Greek accounts it carried Zeus’s thunderbolts or abducted Ganymede. Ptolemy catalogued Aquila; Altair’s name derives from Arabic al-nasr al-ta’ir, “the flying eagle.” The line figure is only a guide: the IAU boundary is the scientifically meaningful region, while historical and cultural interpretations require their own context.
About Aquila
Aquila is one of the 88 constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union. Its standard three-letter abbreviation is Aql, and astronomers use the genitive form Aquilae when naming stars associated with it. The constellation's reference position lies around right ascension -4.6 hours and declination +8 degrees.
Its location places it in the celestial equator. For a typical mid-latitude observer, this part of the celestial sphere is especially well placed during summer evenings. Exact visibility depends on latitude, local horizon, date and time.
History and mythology of Aquila
Origins and cultural history
The eagle was identified in Mesopotamian and Greek sky lore. In Greek accounts it carried Zeus’s thunderbolts or abducted Ganymede. Ptolemy catalogued Aquila; Altair’s name derives from Arabic al-nasr al-ta’ir, “the flying eagle.”
From figure to official region
The IAU retained Eagle as one of 88 official constellations in 1922; Eugène Delporte’s boundaries later turned the traditional figure into an exact cataloguing region.
How to find Aquila
- Locate Vega and Deneb, then complete the Summer Triangle with bright Altair.
- Notice Tarazed and Alshain flanking Altair in a short straight line.
- Trace the eagle’s wings north and south along the Milky Way.
- Sweep west of Zeta with binoculars for NGC 6709, or use the Milky Way glow to silhouette the E Nebula.
Bright stars in Aquila
Altair
Notable star- Magnitude
- 0.77
- Distance
- 16.7 light-years
Rapidly rotating nearby star and a vertex of the Summer Triangle.
Tarazed (Gamma Aquilae)
Notable star- Magnitude
- 2.72
- Distance
- about 395 light-years
Luminous orange giant beside Altair.
Alshain (Beta Aquilae)
Notable star- Magnitude
- 3.71
- Distance
- about 45 light-years
Yellow subgiant completing the short line through Altair.
Okab (Zeta Aquilae)
Notable star- Magnitude
- 2.99
- Distance
- about 83 light-years
Rapidly rotating blue-white star in the eagle’s northern wing.
Deep-sky objects in Aquila
NGC 6709
Loose cluster visible in binoculars west of Zeta Aquilae.
NGC 6755
Compact Milky Way cluster resolving into faint stars at moderate aperture.
NGC 6760
Reddened globular cluster viewed through the dusty Galactic plane.
Barnard 142 and 143
The prominent E Nebula silhouetted against Aquila’s rich star field.
Meteor showers associated with Aquila
June Aquilids
Peak: around late JuneA weak, variable shower with a radiant in Aquila.
Interesting facts about Aquila
- Aquila’s traditional name refers to eagle, while its official IAU boundary defines a precise region of the sky.
- Altair, at magnitude 0.77, is a key star in Aquila. Rapidly rotating nearby star and a vertex of the Summer Triangle.
- NGC 6709 is a notable open cluster in Aquila. Loose cluster visible in binoculars west of Zeta Aquilae.
- The June Aquilids meteor shower peaks around late June. A weak, variable shower with a radiant in Aquila.
- The eagle was identified in Mesopotamian and Greek sky lore.