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Constellations
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Wikipedia |
R.H. Allen: Star Names |
Ian Ridpath: Star Tales |
Universe Guide |
Sea and Sky: Constellations |
SkyEye: Constellations |
IAU Map |
NASA: Constellations |
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Star LoreAquilaThe Eagle |
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Aquila is a small constellation, but it contains one of the brightest stars
(Altair) in the night sky. Located on the celestial equator, the constellation is visible throughout the world. |
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For a brief overview of the main stars of the constellation, click the
Astronomy icon.
 For an alphabetic listing of the constellation's main object in different cultures, click the Index icon. |
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Ancient Mesopotamia
In the Three Stars Each tables, the constellation was listed as
A-mushen, the Eagle.
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Ancient Egypt
Egyptian constellations are still highly disputed and open to interpretation.
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Falcon-headed Horus, 1290 BCTemple of Seti I Source: Wikipedia
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Greek Mythology
In Greek, The constellation’s name was Ἀετός (Aetos), meaning eagle.
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In another Greek story, ... "Zeus fell in love with the goddess Nemesis but, when she resisted his advances, he turned himself into a swan and had Aphrodite pretend to pursue him in the form of an eagle. Nemesis gave refuge to the escaping swan, only to find herself in the embrace of Zeus. To commemorate this successful trick, Zeus placed the images of swan and eagle in the sky as the constellations Cygnus and Aquila." Source:Ian Ridpath |
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Antinous
In 132, Roman Emperor
Hadrian created a separate constellation out of the southern stars of Aquila. He named it
Antinous after a beautiful youth loved by Hadrian, who became his erotic lover.
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Aquila and Antinousin Urania's Mirror |
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The Roman Republic adopted the Greek concept of the eagle holding
Jupiter's thunderbolts and made the image its coat of arms.
However, the Romans didn't call the constellation Eagle, but Vultur volans (the flying vulture). Sources:Wikipedia and Ian Ridpath |
Senātus Populusque RōmānusSource: youtube
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Sanctæ Catarinæ Virginis
In 1627, German lawyer and astronomer Julius Schiller published a star map called
Coelum Stellatum Christianum (The Christian Starry Heaven). It was an (unsuccessful) attempt
to replace the "pagan" constellations with Biblical names and themes.
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Sanctæ Catarinæ Virginis;
Wikipedia
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The constellations Aquila and Sagitta are often depicted together. In Schiller's work, Sagitta represents the Holy Lance. Sources: Wikipedia, SkyEye |
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Arabian Peninsula: an-nasran - The Two Vultures
The Two Vultures are one of eleven
Folkloric Celestial Complexes identified in the Arabic Star Catalog, developed by
Danielle Adams at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
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The Two Vultures; presentation by Danielle AdamsSource: Arab Star Calendars |
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an-nasr al-ta’ir (النسر الطائر), the
Flying Vulture consists of the bright stars
α, β and
γ Aquilae.
The other vulture, the Alighting Vulture is located in what is now the constellation Lyra. For more information on this ancient Arab constellation, see Danielle Adams' essay Auspicious Vultures in the Dark Sky: The autumnal rains return. Source: Arab Star Calendars |
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In the ancient, tragic Arab legend of Jawza’ and Suhayl,
the bright star Canopus (α Car) represents Suhayl, who had to flee to the south after
the death of his wife Jawza’ (presented by Orion's Belt).
Source: Arab Star Calendars |
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Medieval Islamic Astronomy In his Book of Fixed Stars, Persian astronomer Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi relate Greek star names and constellations with traditional Arabic ones.
The name Altair (α Aqi) comes directly from the classical
Flying Vulture, which today is seen as a flying eagle. Danielle Adams explains that in
modern-day Arabic, the term nasr indicates an eagle, but at the time the constellation was first observed it was more commonly used for vultures.
The name Alsahin (β Aqi) is derived from the Persian term
šāhin tarāzu
(شاهين ترازو), meaning the Beam of the Scale, which was an asterism consisting of
α,
β and
γ Aquilae.
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Aside from meaning "beam" or "pointer," the Persian word al-šāhin can also mean "royal falcon."
Source: Wikipedia
The second word of the šāhin tarāzu asterism is the root of the name Tarazed (γ Aqi).
Another traditional Arabic formation going with the "scale" theme is al mizān (ألميزان), the Balance. This asterism consists of
δ,
η and
θ Aquilae, which are unofficially still named Al Mizān I, II and III, respectively.
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ε and ζ Aquilae bore the traditional Arabic
name Deneb el Okab, derived from the Arabic ðanab al-ʽuqāb (ذنب العقاب), the tail of the eagle. Later, the stars received the additional Latin extension
Borealalis (ε Aqi) and Australis (ζ Aqi), meaning northern and southern.
In 2016, the IAU officially assigned the name Okab to ζ Aquilae A. Source: Wikipedia
λ and ι Aquilae share the traditional Arabic name
Al Thalimain, derived from al-ẓalīmayn (الظلیمين), the two ostriches.
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Colored reproduction of al-Sufi's illustration, Bologna 1250-1275pinterest.it
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In his Pearls of Brilliance, 17th century Egyptian astronomer
al-Muwaqqit used a number of unique Arabic names for some of the stars of Aquila.
δ Aquilae was named djenubi menkib al nesr (منكب ألنسر ألخنوبي), the southern shoulder of the eagle, θ Aquilae was named Thanih Ras al Akab (تاني ألرأس ألعقاب), the second (star) of eagle's head and ζ Aquilae was named Dzeneb al Tair (ذنب الطائر), the eagle's tail. |
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Viking Lore
In Norse mythology,
Veðrfölnir, meaning "storm pale" or "wind bleached" is a hawk sitting between
the eyes of an unnamed eagle that is perched on top of the world tree Yggdrasil.
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VeðrfölnirBjorn Jónsson's Viking starmap Source: germanicmythology.com |
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Ancient China
In Chinese, Aquila is written
天 鷹 座
In the 8th Lunar Mansion, called Dǒu, the Dipper, λ Aquilae and a number of fainter stars are seen as Market Officers, called Tiānbiàn, just outside the Wall. |
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The 9th Lunar Mansion is called Niú, the Ox. Here,
Altair and its two flanking stars,
β and γ Aquilae form the asterism
Hegu, the Drum at the River.
Ian Ridpath calls it "a large battle drum."
South of the drum, θ and η Aquilae, together with a number of fainter stars form Tiānfú, the Celestial Drumstick. δ and ι Aquilae, together with fainter stars form Yòuqí, a banner flying on the right side of the drum; ρ Aquilae and a group of stars from Sagitta are Zuǒqí, the banner flying on the left side. |
Chinese Battle DrumsSource: youtube
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The 10th Lunar Mansion is Nǚ, the Girl.
Four very faint stars, 69,
70 and 71 and
1 Aquarii form an asterism called Lízhū, representing four pearls worn by
the girl.
Ian Ridpath also tells us, that "Altair and its attendant stars were also known as the Three Generals, the commanding officer in the center flanked by two subordinates." In this capacity, α Aql is called Dàjiāngjūn, the Great General, while β and γ Aql are called Zuǒjiāngjūn (Left-Side General) and Yòujiāngjūn (Right-Side General), respectively. Sources:Wikipedia and Ian Ridpath |
Chinese PearlsSource: GemWise Blog
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In a popular Chinese folk tale, Altair is called Niú Láng Xīng
(meaning Star of the Cowherd) or Qiān Niú Xīng (Star of cows).
Niú Láng is the husband of Zhīnǚ, the "Weaving Girl", represented by an asterism in the constellation Lyra, containing Vega (α Lyr), the fifth-brightest star in the night sky. Weaving Girl was also called Celestial Granddaughter, as in Chinese legends, she was the granddaughter of the celestial emperor. Hong Kong Space Museum tells the story of Weaving Girl and Cowherd: "Weaving Girl worked hard year in year out, weaving colorful brocade for the gods and goddesses. However, she stopped weaving after she married Niulang. Outraged, the celestial emperor ordered the couple to be separated by the celestial river (the Milky Way) and only allowed them to meet once a year. On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, the magpies would spread their wings together to form a bridge, enabling the tragic lovers in heaven to meet that night." Source:Hong Kong Space Museum, Wikipedia |
Cowherd and Weaving GirlSource: Hong Kong Space Museum |
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All Things Chinese provides an extensive, illustrated version of the tale.
The tale of The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl is considered one of
China's greatest folk tales. The Qixi Festival, commemorating the two lovers has been
celebrated on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month for the last 2,000 years, dating back to the Hab Dynasty.
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Cowherd and Weaving GirlSource: All Things Chinese |
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Similar festivals take place in Japan (Tanabata Festival) and Korea
(Chilseok Festival).
Source: Wikipedia, japan-suite.com |
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Ancient India
In Hindu Astronomy,
Altair and its two flanking stars,
β and γ Aquilae form
Shrāvaṇa, the 23rd Lunar Mansion or Nakshatra.
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Garuda statue in Belur, IndiaSource: Wikipedia |
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Boorong / Australia
The Boorong in north-western Victoria, Australia called Altair (α Aquilae) Totyarguil. The name is derived from the word
for star tot and the name for the Purple-crowned Lorikeet.
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One legend tells us how Totyarguil, once spotted a monstrous cod fish in a water hole. He threw all of his spears
at the fish, but the fish got away, digging up a new waterway, which became the Murray River. the spines now found
projecting from the back of the cod fish represent the spears thrown by Totyarguil in his vain attempt to capture it.
The fish is immortalized in the Boorong sky as the constellation Delphinus, which in Boorong is called Otchocut, meaning Great Fish. Source: Morieson p.97 |
Otchocut© Francis Firebrace |
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The most popular legend around Totyarguil tell us about a feud with his Mother-in-Law Yerredetkurrk:
One time, Totyarguil's family was stuck on a mountain top that was too steep to climb down. Totyarguil called out to his wife and children to jump down, one by one, and he would catch them in his arms. He caught all of them safely, but when Yerredetkurrk jumped, he pretended he could not catch her, and she fell heavily on the ground. She recovered, but surely held a grouch. Some time late, Yerredetkurrk spotted a vicious creature in a water hole. She covered the hole over with leaves and grass to resemble a huge bandicoot's nest. She then tricked Totyarguil to enter the nest to retrieve the animals. Totyarguil fell into the water hole and the monster at the bottom caught hold of his feet and drowned him. Luckily for Totyarguil, his uncle Collenbitchick came to his rescue and managed to revive him. Source: John Morieson B.A: The Night Sky of the Boorong |
TotyarguilSource: Stars over Tyrrell |
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The placement of Totyarguil and his mother-in-law Yerredetkurrk provides insight into Aboriginal culture: To avoid incest,
Aboriginal tradition prohibits any contact between a man and his
mother-in-law. This tradition is well represented in the way the two respective stars appear and disappear in the sky:
Achernar is highest in the sky between September to December - the breeding season of the owlet nightjar, the bird Yerredetkurrk is associated with. At that time, Altair cannot be seen. Altair returns to the sky in late summer, when Achernar is only very dim above the southern horizon. Source: John Morieson B.A: The Night Sky of the Boorong |
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Hawaii
On the Hawaiian Islands, Altair was the guiding star for canoes sailing a northwesterly course
from the Big Island to Kaua‘i.
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Other Pacific Islands |
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The Bugis Sailors called Altair bintoéng timoro, meaning "eastern star." |
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In Micronesia, Altair was called Mai-lapa,
meaning "big/old breadfruit".
Source for Bugis and Micronesia: Wikipedia/Altair |
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On the Marquesas Islands, the entire constellation Aquila was known as Pao-toa, meaning "Fatigued Warrior." |
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On the Tuamotu Islands, Altair was called Tukituki, meaning "Pound with a hammer" and Alshain (β Aqu) was named Nga Tangata, "the Men." |
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On the island Puka Puka, Altair and its companions Alshain (β Aqu) and Tarazed (γ Aqu) were called Tolu, meaning "three"; Altair itself was named Turu, meaning the Pole. |
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The Māori called Altair Poutu-te-rang,
meaning "pillar of heaven."
Altair was used differently in different Māori calendars, being the star of February and March in one version and March and April in the other. It was also the star that ruled the annual sweet potato harvest. Source for Marquesas, Tuamotu, Puka Puka and Māori: Wikipedia/Aquila |
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Inuit For the Canadian Inuit, the new year started with the heliacal rising of two stars called Aagjuuk - Altair (α Aqu) and Tarazed (γ Aqu), followed by the rising of the Sivulliik stars - Arcturus (α Boo) and Muphrid (η Boo). Tatilgak from Western Arctic Canada shared a prayer referring to those two pairs of stars: |
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By which way, I wonder the mornings- You dear morning, get up! See I am up! By which way I wonder, the constellation Aagjuuk rises up in the sky? By this way-perhaps-by the morning It rises up! |
By which way, I wonder the mornings- You dear morning, get up! See I am up! By which way I wonder, the constellation Sivulliit rises up in the sky? By this way-perhaps-by the morning It rises up! |
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Sources: Inukarama, Inuit Star Lore Cylinder |
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Maya / Central America
The Quiche saw Aquila as a hawk. They linked the southward migration of the
Swanison's hawk with the movement of Aquila.
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Swainson's hawkSource: Wikipedia |
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NameExoworlds
In the 2015 Name Exoworlds project, one stars and one planet in the
constellation Aquila received official names.
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| The 2019 NameExoWorld project, in which each country on earth could name one star and one exoplanet, added three more names for stars and planets in the Aquila constellation. |
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Jordan choose two UNESCO World Heritage Sites
for its contributions.
Star WASP-80 was named Petra after the famous historic and archaeological city Petra in the south of the country. Planet WASP-80 b was named Wadirum. Wadi Rum, the Valley of the Moon is the largest sandstone valley in Jordan and has been inhabited by many human cultures since prehistoric times. Source: IAU100 Name ExoWorlds: Approved Names |
Great Temple in PetraSource: National Geographic |
Petroglyphs in Wadi RumSource: Wikipedia |
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Lebanon named star HD 192263
Phoenicia after the ancient Mediterranean seafaring civilization.
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Phoenician ship in BeirutSource: khanacademy.org |
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Tunisia selected two pieces of traditional culture.
Chéchia, a flat-surfaced, red wool hat is the traditional Tunisian headdress for men and women. The name was chosen as the name for star HD 192699 Planet HD 192699 b was named Khomsa. Khomsa, also called Khamsa or Hamsa is a popular palm-shaped amulet, used in jewelry and decorations. It depicts an open right hand and is often found in modern designs. Source: IAU100 Name ExoWorlds: Approved Names |
Chéchia;
Wikipedia |
Khomsa;
etsy.com/ |
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