Altair facts for kids

Altair, also known as α Aquilae or α Aql, is a very bright star. It is the brightest star in the constellation of Aquila, which looks like an eagle. You can see Altair easily in the night sky because it is the twelfth brightest star overall.

Altair is part of a famous group of stars called the Summer Triangle. The other two stars in this triangle are Deneb and Vega. Altair is quite close to our Sun, about 16.7 light-years away. This makes it one of the closest stars you can see without a telescope.

Altair is a type of star called an A-type main sequence star. It is located in a cloudy area of gas and dust known as the G-cloud.

How Fast Does Altair Spin?

Altair spins incredibly fast! Its equator, which is the widest part of the star, moves at about 286 kilometers per second. This is almost three-quarters of the speed where the star would start to break apart.

Because it spins so quickly, Altair is not perfectly round like a ball. Instead, it is flattened at its poles, making it look a bit squashed. Scientists have used special telescopes called interferometers to study Altair's shape and confirm this.

Images for kids

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  Altair is the brightest star in the constellation Aquila

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  Altair in comparison with the Sun

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  Altair

See also

In Spanish: Altair para niños