Image 1 of 1
Altair (Alpha Aquilae) is the brightest star in the constellation Aquila (the Eagle) and the 12th brightest in the night sky. Located only 16.7 light-years away, it is one of the closest stars to Earth visible to the naked eye. It is a white main-sequence star, notable for its extremely rapid rotation—roughly once every 9–10 hours—which causes it to be noticeably flattened at its poles.