Astronomy and Space

Aquila (constellation)

Aquila is a constellation on the celestial equator. Its name is Latin for 'eagle', and what it represents is mixed; some say it represents the bird that carried Zeus/Jupiter's thunderbolts in Greek-Roman mythology, while others say it was the bird that Zeus ordered to attack Prometheus. Aquila's brightest star, Altair, is one vertex of the Summer Triangle asterism. The constellation Aquila is best seen in the northern summer, as it is located along the Milky Way. Because of this location, many clusters and nebulae are found within its borders, but they are dim and galaxies are few.

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See also

• ▸Bohdan Paczyński
• ▸Dover Castle (painting)
• ▸1967 in spaceflight

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