AQUILA
Aquila, which occupies most of the center of the picture, is best marked by
bright (first magnitude) Altair at left center, the star flanked by
two outliers (Alshain below, and Tarazed above), which together give
the sense of the flying Eagle.
The three stars
are actually depicted as marking the Eagle's back and neck.
A curved line passing dowward through the three stars
passes through Eta Aquilae; Delta is the second modestly bright
star to the right of Delta.
The Eagle's tail is indicated by the two stars at upper right
that together are called Deneb al Okab (Zeta on the bottom, Epsilon
on top). Altair lies at the
southern apex of the Summer Triangle.
Serpens (Serpens Cauda) ends at Alya,
seen at upper right. In December of 1999, the constellation was graced
by a naked eye nova.