The brightest stars: an astronomical constellation called the Summer Triangle

Science: Altair is a bright star in the northern summer sky and one of three stars that make up an astronomical constellation called the Summer Triangle. Located in the constellation Aquila (the Eagle), Altair is 16.8 light-years from Earth, making it one of the closest stars visible to the naked eye. It’s also the 12th brightest star in the night sky with an apparent magnitude of +0.76.

Altair is also spinning quickly. At a speed of about 185 miles (300 kilometers) per second at the equator, one rotation takes about 9 to 10 hours. This speed causes the star to flatten slightly by about 14%, according to EarthSky. Altair is the brightest star in the constellation Aquila and one of the closest visible stars to Earth making it an ideal target for constellation viewing. It’s part of the “Summer Triangle,” a constellation that includes the stars Vega in Lyra and Deneb in Cygnus. An easy way to find Altair is to first locate Plo in Ursa Major, then cast your gaze up and to the left to look for three stars that form an even triangle. Altair is the leftmost star in this asterism.
The best time to see Altair is in the southern sky during late summer or early fall evenings in the Northern Hemisphere. Altair stands out because of its brightness and its position between two dimmer stars, Tarazed in the north-northwest and Alshain in the south-southeast, which form a distinct line. This trio of stars makes Altair easily recognizable within Aquila.