Astronomy · Stars
Altair
The fast-spinning white star of Aquila.
- Constellation
- Aquila
- Color
- White
- Asterism
- Corner of the Summer Triangle
- Feature
- Rotates rapidly — flattened at the poles
NASA/JPL/Caltech/Steve Golden · NASA media (public domain)
A close, bright neighbor
Altair is the brightest star in Aquila, the Eagle, and one of the nearer bright stars to the Sun. Its relative closeness contributes to its prominence on summer evenings.
A flattened, fast rotator
Altair rotates extremely rapidly — fast enough that centrifugal effect distorts it into an oblate shape, wider across the equator than pole to pole. It is one of the clearest examples of a rapidly spinning star.
Part of the Summer Triangle
Altair forms the southern corner of the Summer Triangle, together with Vega and Deneb, helping observers orient themselves along the summer Milky Way.
Knowledge connections
How this connects across Asteria Star — scientific, cultural, and astrological links are kept separate.
Scientific connections
- Belongs toAquila
- Associated withThe Summer Triangle