Altair
Summer Triangle vertex
Altair is the brightest star in the constellation Aquila and one of the brightest in the night sky.
It forms one vertex of the Summer Triangle, a prominent asterism visible in northern hemisphere summers.
The name comes from Arabic meaning "the flying eagle." Altair appears in science fiction as a setting—the Forbidden Planet takes place on Altair IV.
Latin for bird of prey
- constellationNamed pattern of celestial bodies
- celestialOf the sky above
- magnitudeSize or scale
- luminosityIntrinsic brightness of source
light-years · spectral · binary · photosphere · hydrogen · helium · fusion · parallax
Lyra's alpha star
- DenebCygnus's brightest star
- solsticeDay of maximum tilt
- stargazingObserving celestial bodies
- eveningLate day period
twilight · constellation · naked-eye · brilliant · bright · visible · July · August
Aquila
Latin for bird of prey
- constellationNamed pattern of celestial bodies
- celestialOf the sky above
- magnitudeSize or scale
luminosity · light-years · spectral · binary · photosphere · hydrogen · helium · fusion · parallax · telescope
Vega
Lyra's alpha star
- DenebCygnus's brightest star
- solsticeDay of maximum tilt
- stargazingObserving celestial bodies
evening · twilight · constellation · naked-eye · brilliant · bright · visible · July · August · cowherd
Aquila
Latin for bird of prey
talons · feathers · plumage · wingspan · aerie · Arabic · mythology · ornithology · birdwatching · falconry
sextant
Maritime angular measurement device
- astrolabeAncient altitude-measuring instrument
- compassDevice showing cardinal directions
- marinerOne who navigates ships
sailor · wayfinding · longitude · latitude · bearing · course · chart · altitude · azimuth · nautical
- Islamic Astronomyastrolabe, star catalog, observatory, House of Wisdom, celestial globe
- astronomystars, moon, sun, planet, planets
- celestialsun, moon, stars, planet, planets
- Celestial Objectsstars, planets, moons, comets, galaxies
- 70s electronics8-track, Atari, Betamax, cassette tape, cassette player
- Star NamesSirius, Polaris, Vega, Betelgeuse, Rigel
AltairSirius
Night's most luminous point
Rigel · Betelgeuse · Aldebaran · Orion's Belt · Southern Cross
AltairVega
Lyra's alpha star
Polaris · North Star · Canopus · Southern Cross · Crux
AltairBetelgeuse
Red supergiant star
Antares · Proxima Centauri · red dwarf · red supergiant · white dwarf