Altair 3078 225183854 2008-07-12T09:44:01Z Hydrargyrum 291919 rotational distortion discovered {{Otheruses1|the star in the constellation Aquila}} {{Starbox begin | name=Altair }} {{Starbox image | image=[[Image:Altair.jpg|250px]] | caption=Altair. }} {{Starbox observe | epoch=J2000 | constell=[[Aquila (constellation)|Aquila]] | ra=19h 50m 47.0s | dec=+08° 52' 06" | appmag_v=0.77 }} {{Starbox character | class=A7 IV-V | b-v=0.22 | u-b=0.08 | variable=DelSct }} {{Starbox astrometry | radial_v=&minus;26.1 | prop_mo_ra=536.82 | prop_mo_dec=385.54 | parallax=194.97 | p_error=0.86 | absmag_v=2.22 }} {{Starbox detail| age=<10<sup>9</sup> | metal=200% Sun | mass=1.7 | radius=1.7 | rotation=6.5&ndash;10.4 hours | luminosity=10.7 | temperature=8,000 }} {{Starbox catalog | names=α Aquilae, 53 Aquilae, [[Henry Draper catalogue|HD]] 187642, [[Harvard Revised catalogue|HR]] 7557, [[Bonner Durchmusterung|BD]]+08°4236, [[General Catalogue of Trigonometric Parallaxes|GCTP]] 4665.00, [[Gliese-Jahreiss catalogue|GJ]] 768, [[Luyten Half-Second catalogue|LHS]] 3490, TD1 25537, and [[Hipparcos Catalogue|HIP]] 97649. }} {{Starbox end}} '''Altair''' (α Aql / α Aquilae / [[alpha (letter)|Alpha]] Aquilae / Atair) is the brightest [[star]] in the [[constellation]] [[Aquila (constellation)|Aquila]] and the [[list of brightest stars|twelfth brightest star]] in the nighttime sky, at [[visual magnitude]] 0.77. Recent studies (2007) using synthetic aperture techniques with multiple optical telescopes have revealed that Altair is not spherical, but is rather flattened at the poles due to its high rate of rotation. == Location == The star's location in the constellation of Aquila is shown in the following map: [[Image:Aquila constellation map.png|thumb|none|300px]] == Etymology == The name "Altaïr" is [[Arabic language|Arabic]] for "the bird", from the phrase {{lang|ar|الطير}}. The spelling "Atair" is also used frequently. The name was given by [[Islamic astronomy|Arabic astronomers]] and adopted by [[Western world|Western]] [[astronomer]]s. It is officially known as 河鼓二 (Hégǔ'èr, the Second Star of the Drum at the River, or more literally, Riverdrum II) in [[Chinese language|Chinese]]. However, it is more famously known as its other names: 牵牛星 or 牛郎星 (the Star of the Cowherd), after the Cowherd in the Chinese mythology: the [[Qi Xi|Cowherd and the Weaver Girl]]; the star's [[Japanese language|Japanese]] name of Hikoboshi derives from this same myth. == Altair in mythology and culture == In [[Chinese mythology]], there is a love story of [[Qi Xi]] in which Niu Lang ('''Altair''') and his two children (Aquila -β and -γ) are separated forever from their mother Zhi Nü ([[Vega]]) who is on the far side of the river, the [[Milky Way]]. The Japanese [[Tanabata]] festival is also based on this legend. In [[astrology]], the star Altair was ill-omened, portending danger from [[reptile]]s. The NASA Constellation Program announced "Altair" as the name of the [[Lunar Surface Access Module]] (LSAM) on [[December 13]], [[2007]]. == See also == * [[Altair in fiction]] == External links == *[http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04204 Report] on ultra high-resolution photograph. *[http://www.solstation.com/stars/altair.htm SolStation] *[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6709345.stm Secrets of Sun-like star probed] *[http://www.astromart.com/news/news.asp?news_id=697 Astronomers Capture First Images of the Surface Features of Altair] [[Category:Aquila constellation]] [[Category:Bayer objects|Aquilae, α]] [[Category:A-type main sequence stars]] [[Category:Arabic words and phrases]] [[Category:Stars with proper names]] [[ast:Altair]] [[be:Альтаір]] [[be-x-old:Альтаір]] [[bg:Алтаир]] [[ca:Altair]] [[cs:Altair]] [[de:Altair]] [[es:Altair]] [[eo:Altairo]] [[fa:کرکس پرنده]] [[fr:Alpha Aquilae]] [[gl:Altair]] [[ko:알타이르]] [[hr:Altair]] [[io:Alter]] [[bpy:আল্টাইর্]] [[it:Altair]] [[he:אלטאיר]] [[lb:Altair (Stär)]] [[lt:Altayras]] [[nl:Altair]] [[ja:アルタイル]] [[no:Altair]] [[pl:Altair]] [[pt:Altair (estrela)]] [[ru:Альтаир]] [[sk:Altair]] [[fi:Altair]] [[sv:Altair]] [[tl:Altair]] [[vi:Sao Ngưu Lang]] [[tr:Altair]] [[uk:Альтаїр]] [[zh:河鼓二]]