Aquila the Eagle - Vintage Astronomical Star Chart

Antique Constellation Print / Astronomical Chart Delphinus, Sagitta, Aquila, and Antinous Delphinus is a constellation in the northern sky, close to the celestial equator. Its name is Latin for dolphin. It is one of the smaller constellations, ranked 69th in size out of 88. Delphinus was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains among the 88 modern constellations recognised by the International Astronomical Union. Delphinus's brightest stars form a distinctive asterism that can easily be recognised. It is bordered (clockwise from north) by Vulpecula the fox, Sagitta the arrow, Aquila the eagle, Aquarius the water-carrier, Equuleus the foal and Pegasus the flying horse. Aquila is a stellar constellation. Its name is Latin for 'eagle' and it is commonly represented as such. In mythology, Aquila was owned by the Roman god Jupiter and performed many tasks for him. Sagitta is a constellation. Its name is Latin for "arrow", and it should not be confused with the larger constellation Sagittarius, the archer. Although ancient, it is insignificant, for it has no star brighter than the 4th magnitude and is the third smallest of all constellations (only Equuleus and Crux are smaller). It was included among the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations defined by the International Astronomical Union. Located not very far to the north of the equator, this constellation can be seen from everywhere on Earth except within the Antarctic circle. Sagitta lies within the Milky Way and is bordered by the following constellations (beginning at the north and then continuing clockwise): the little fox Vulpecula, the mythological hero Hercules, the eagle Aquila and the dolphin Delphinus. Antinous is an obsolete constellation no longer in use by astronomers, having been merged into Aquila, which it bordered to the North. The constellation was created by the emperor Hadrian in 132. According to legend, Hadrian was told by an oracle that only death of his most beloved person would save him from a great danger. Sure enough, Antinous, a beautiful youth loved by Hadrian, died while saving the Emperor from drowning in the Nile. For his memory Hadrian identified an asterism in the sky with Antinous. Tycho Brahe was originally given credit for inventing Antinous, but current finds include a celestial globe by the cartographer Caspar Vopel from 1536 that contains Antinous, so Brahe simply measured up the sky according to modern cartographer traditions and decided to give Antinous a separate table in his star catalogue. In the following modern times, Antinous has been variously considered an asterism within Aquila or as a separate constellation, until the International Astronomical Union discarded it when formalising the constellations in 1930. Hand-coloured engraving on card created by Sidney Hall for Jehoshaphat Aspin's 1825 work, A Familiar Treatise on Astronomy. Original cards have holes where the stars are to let light shine through. High Resolution image suitable for large or small copies. This is a reproduction and may have been digitally enhanced to repair flaws, major stains, etcetera. The images are reproduced here from very high resolution digital files, so you can be confident that the quality will remain the best. All of the Fine Art, Vintage Reproductions, Classic Prints, and other Antique Images in our gallery have been carefully edited, cleaned up and placed on products to provide the best possible results. We may not have as many items for sale as some of the bulk stores, but please be assured that we pay attention to the details and design each product for maximum positive effect. Image courtesy of OldBookArt.com.