Aquila the Eagle is one of the original 48 Greek constellations. Altair often represents a bird in mythology that was a companion to Jupiter and often carried his thunderbolts. The constellation is one of the most prominent in the sky. Altair is one of the summer triangle of stars that grace our sky during the summer months. The others are Vega and Deneb. Altair is the most southerly of the triangle stars. Alpha Aquila or Altair is from the Arabic meaning 'Flying Eagle' is one of the so called 1st magnitude stars.