The Fixed Stars

Nasr Alwaki

Al Nasr al Waqi, the Falling Eagle, Vega region

Arabic al-nasr al-waqi, the swooping or falling eagle. It stands at about 15° Capricorn (tropical).

The old name for the swooping eagle, before the star was read as a harp.

Before the constellation was drawn as a lyre, Arabic astronomers saw here an eagle with folded wings stooping to the kill, Al Nasr al Waqi, the falling eagle, set against Al Nasr al Tair, the flying eagle at Altair across the Milky Way. The name settled on the brilliant white star now called Vega, brightest of the region, with the small parallelogram of Lyra read as the closed wings. In the Vedic sky the same star anchors Abhijit, the victorious nakshatra inserted between Uttara Ashadha and Shravana. The harp and the eagle are two readings of one bright light.

The name belongs to the Vega region; Vega itself is registered separately.