Altair (α Aquilae) is the brightest star in the constellation Aquila. It has an apparent magnitude of 0.76 and is almost 17 light-years (ly) away. This makes it one of the closest stars to the sun that can be seen with the naked eye.
Together with the stars Vega (Lyre) and Deneb (Swan), Altair forms the Summer Triangle.
Altair is the 12th brightest star in the night sky.
| Altair | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Aquila |
| Right ascension | 19h 50m 47s |
| Declination | +08° 52′ 6″ |
| Apparent magnitude | 0.76 mag |
| Distance | (16.73 ± 0.05) |
| Bayer designation | α Aquilae |
| Bright Star Catalogue | HR 7557 |
| Hipparcos Catalogue | HIP 97649 |
| SAO Catalogue | SAO 125122 |
