Eta Aquilae

3400 L ☉

Eta Aquilae ( η Aql ) is about 1200 light years from Earth in the constellation of distant giant eagle, 8 ° south of the brighter Altair. He also presented the head of the ancient ( no longer recognized ) constellation Antinous, was honored by the creation of the young deceased, the same favorite of the Roman emperor Hadrian. Very rarely is called Eta Aquilae with his Hebrew name Bezek or Bazak (ie lightning ).

As a Cepheid Variable Eta Aquilae of the apparent brightness varies with a period of 7.176641 days between 3.48 and 4.39 might like. Along with Delta Cephei, Zeta Geminorum and Beta Doradus Eta Aquilae is one of the brightest Cepheids whose brightness variations were discovered in 1784 by Edward Pigott and which can be observed with the naked eye, while about the also bright star for it to small differences between maximum and minimum having. From the period-luminosity relation, one can calculate the distance from Eta Aquilae 1100 light years; , this value is therefore in very good agreement with the calculated from the measured parallax value of 1200 light years.