AQUILA, in astronomy, the "eagle," sometimes named the "vulture," a constellation of the northern hemisphere, traversed by a bright part of the Milky Way, which is here divided into two branches. The stars, g, a, y (see ALTAIR), form a conspicuous group reminding us slightly of Orion's belt. Several Novae have appeared in this constellation; in particular Nova Aquilae III., discovered on June 8, 1918, attained a brightness only slightly inferior to Sirius.