ABSTRACT
Aquila is one of those constellations which conjures up at least a vague impression of the object after which it is named - in this case an eagle in flight. The leading star, Altair, has a fainter star to either side of it; so too has Antares in Scorpius, but there can be no fear of confusion, since Antares is very red and Altair is pure white. Delphinus contains two prominent red variables, U and EU, both of which are easy to follow with binoculars. In 1967, a nova, HR, flared up near these two, and reached magnitude 3.7; it remained visible with the naked eye for months, but has now faded back to its pre-outburst magnitude of 14. Adjoining the southernmost part of Aquila is the little constellation of Scutum, which has only one star above the fourth magnitude - Alpha - but contains the famous open cluster M11, nicknamed the “Wild Duck”.
