Altair: how to find it and when to see it
Altair ranks 12th of the 74 bright stars on our list, at magnitude 0.76, in the constellation Aquila.
You can see it from anywhere north of 81° S, and it's highest in the evening sky in September.
Altair at a glance
- Constellation
- Aquila
- Magnitude
- 0.76
- Rank on our list
- 12 of 74
- Hemisphere
- Northern
- Right ascension
- 19 h 51 min
- Declination
- 8.9° north
- Visible from
- north of 81° S
- Never sets
- north of 81° N
- Best evening
- September 3
- Name from
- Arabic
Where Altair is in the sky
Altair sits 8.9° north of the celestial equator, the line in the sky directly above Earth's equator, so it's in the northern half of the sky. Its right ascension is 19 h 51 min.
Right ascension works like longitude on the sky. It's counted in hours, and about one hour of it turns past you each hour of the night.
When and where to see Altair
From the northern hemisphere
From 40° N, the latitude of New York, Madrid and Beijing, Altair rises in the east, climbs to 59° above the horizon in the south and sets in the west.
It's in the evening sky from June to November, and it's highest in the evening around September 3, in fall.
From the southern hemisphere
From 34° S, the latitude of Sydney, Cape Town and Buenos Aires, Altair rises in the east, climbs to 47° above the horizon in the north and sets in the west.
It's in the evening sky from July to October, and it's highest in the evening around September 3, in spring.
How high Altair climbs from each latitude
The evening is about 9 pm local time, or 10 pm during daylight saving time, and later when the sky is still too bright. A star counts as in the evening sky when it's at least 10° above the horizon.
| Latitude | Visibility | Highest point | Evening sky |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60° N | Rises and sets | 39° in the south | Jun to Nov |
| 50° N | Rises and sets | 49° in the south | Jun to Nov |
| 40° N | Rises and sets | 59° in the south | Jun to Nov |
| 30° N | Rises and sets | 69° in the south | Jun to Nov |
| 20° N | Rises and sets | 79° in the south | Jun to Nov |
| Equator | Rises and sets | 81° in the north | Jun to Nov |
| 20° S | Rises and sets | 61° in the north | Jul to Nov |
| 34° S | Rises and sets | 47° in the north | Jul to Oct |
| 45° S | Rises and sets | 36° in the north | Jul to Oct |
What the name Altair means
Altair comes from the Arabic al-nasr al-ṭāʾir, the flying eagle. It's the brightest star of Aquila, the Eagle.
Keep the sky of a night that matters
Our star maps show the stars above any place, at the minute you choose, with the constellation lines drawn in. If Altair was above the horizon that night, it's on your map, and we print it on museum-grade paper.
Questions about Altair
Altair is in Aquila. It sits 8.9° north of the celestial equator, at a right ascension of 19 h 51 min.
Altair is highest in the evening sky around September 3. That's fall in the northern hemisphere and spring in the southern hemisphere.
Yes, from anywhere north of 81° S. From 34° S, it climbs to 47° above the horizon in the north.
Altair has a magnitude of 0.76, which ranks it 12th of the 74 bright stars on our list. Sirius looks about 7.6 times brighter.
Altair comes from the Arabic al-nasr al-ṭāʾir, the flying eagle. It's the brightest star of Aquila, the Eagle.