June 10th, 2025
The night sky is peppered with all kinds of star patterns that have fascinated human kind for untold centuries. These patterns were thought to be gods and creatures of all kinds, kindly (mostly) looking over our affairs here on Earth. For the grander groups of stars, we save the name constellation. But sometimes smaller groups appear that have an even grander attraction. We call these patterns either within (or without) their constellations asterisms.
One of the most recognizable asterisms in the sky is the Summer Triangle. Unlike many other asterisms that are confined to one constellation, with the Summer Triangle, you get three for the price of one! The key stars in The Triangle are as follows: Vega in the constellation Lyra (The Lyre), Deneb in Cygnus (The Swan) and Altair in Aquila (The Eagle). Vega is the brightest of the three and easy to find through the summer into early Fall. Once you get to know how the Triangle is placed in the sky, you can also use it as a guide to other constellations and stars. This month, you can catch this fairly bright asterism clearing the tree tops after about 10:00PM in the eastern sky and it will stay flying overhead into October.
Follow the links above to get details on these different objects. You’ll find that the three constellations have long been associated with birds of some kind, no matter what culture is gazing up. If you’re keen to investigate the mythology, check your local library for Richard Hinckley Allen’s “Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning”. It’s one of the great modern resources for ancient astronomy.
Regardless, you can revel in the magic of the Three Mythical Birds of Summer!
Originally published 6-12-15, revised 6-1-25
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