Delphinus the Dolphin

Delphinus is a small but fairly prominent group of stars found to the northeast of the bright star Altair in Aquila the Eagle. Its northwest corner touches the Milky Way and its third and fourth magnitude stars form a tightly arranged trapezoid.

If you are able to find the Summer Triangle, Delphinus resides closest to the star Altair in Aquila the Eagle.

Delphinus is a dolphin in Greek mythology. The dolphin was honored by the early Greeks because of the role it played in saving the life of the poet, Arion. Arion was returning by sea to Corinth from Tarentum where he had been paid handsomely for playing the harp and reciting his poetry. Learning of the treasure he carried, the sailors mutinied and cast Arion into the sea. While in the sea he played a sad lament that so impressed Apollo that he sent a dolphin to rescue Arion and carry him to the distant shore. Arion later honored the dolphin with a small statue and placed it in a shrine. Impressed by this act, Apollo took the statue and placed it among the stars. 

Though Delphinus contains no prominent Messier objects or faint fuzzies, it is adjacent to the Cygnus Milky Way and is bathed in a rich star region especially attractive in binoculars. If you can locate Altair in Aquila, you should be able to spy the dolphin swimming along the “shore” of the summer Milky Way.  

Enjoy! And Keep Looking Up!