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Aquila (The Eagle)
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Constellations Visible in Canadian Skies
Select a constellation from the list below to learn more:
Aquarius
Aquila
Aries
Auriga
Boötes
Cancer
Canis Major
Canis Minor
Capricornus
Cassiopeia
Cygnus
Gemini
Hercules
Hydra
Libra
Leo
Lyra
Orion
Perseus
Pisces
Sagittarius
Scorpius
Taurus
Ursa Minor and Ursa Major
Virgo
Various cultures have seen the constellation Aquila as a bird.
Legend
Aquila was responsible for finding the most beautiful youth in the world, who would bring the gods their nectar. Aquila searched high and low and eventually saw Ganymede, a beautiful shepherd. He swooped down, picked him up and took him back to Zeus. Aquila was so devoted to finding a suitable cupbearer that he forgot to rest. When he arrived back with Ganymede, Aquila was so tired that he died. Zeus placed him in the stars to thank him for his efforts.
Altair, the brightest star in Aquila, is the 11th brightest star in the sky. It rotates once every 6 hours, which causes the star to be flattened. Our Sun rotates once every 28 days. Altair is part of the "Summer Triangle", along with Vega and Deneb.
