The stars Altair, Vega and Deneb are three stars that form what is known as the Summer Triangle. These three stars are not a constellation but form an asterism which is an easily identified pattern of stars.
Each of the three bright stars are in their own constellation.
Altair is located in Aquila the Eagle and is at a distance of 17 light years.
Vega is in Lyra the Harp and is 25 light years away and the brightest star in the Summer Triangle. It has a disk of matter that may be a formation of a planetary system.
Deneb is in Cygnus the Swan and lies at a distant 2600 light years. Its light takes 2,600 years to reach earth. Deneb is massive, larger than Vega and Altair and Sun. Deneb is 200,000 times brighter than the Sun. While Vega and Altair are about the sun’s size, Deneb is a massive 200 times the diameter of the Sun.
Look for the Summer Triangle this month as it rises above the eastern horizon about 11 p.m. It will be with us through July, August and September
