{
  "id": 3709496,
  "title": "Delphinus the Dolphin has a graceful kite shape",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/delphinus-the-dolphin-has-a-graceful-kite-shape",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-27T09:00:30.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "EarthSky",
    "slug": "earthsky",
    "url": "https://earthsky.org/constellations/delphinus-the-dolphin-summer-triangle/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Delphinus, the Dolphin constellation, is a small yet notable formation in the night sky. It measures up as the 69th largest among the 88 constellations. Each year, it becomes visible during northern summer evenings, and by fall, it's well positioned for observation, casting an arc across the sky throughout the night.\n\nHowever, Delphinus' stars are quite faint, making it challenging to spot without a dark sky. To locate it, one needs to look just beyond the line connecting the bright stars Deneb in Cygnus the Swan and Altair in Aquila the Eagle, which form two corners of a well-known asterism known as the Summer Triangle. With the naked eye or binoculars, under dark skies, Delphinus can be spotted.\n\nThe constellation's shape resembles that of a dolphin, complete with a distinctive tail. Its brightest star, Beta Delphini, also known as Rotanev, shines at magnitude 3.6 and is located 101 light-years from Earth. This star marks the junction where the dolphin's body connects with its tail. The second brightest star, Alpha Delphini or Sualocin, at magnitude 3.7, is situated 254 light-years away and signifies the backside of the dolphin. Interestingly, the names of these two stars, Rotanev and Sualocin, were created by Italian astronomer Nicolaus Venator, who reversed their names.\n\nDelphinus also contains a few notable stars. Gamma Delphini, the nose of the dolphin, is a double star with magnitudes 4.2 and 5.1, located approximately 101 light-years away. Delta Delphini, the belly of the dolphin, is a magnitude 4.4 star located 223 light-years away. The tail of the dolphin is occupied by Epsilon Delphini or Aldulfin, a magnitude 4.0 star situated 330 light-years away.\n\nBeyond its visibly faint stars, Delphinus also houses a number of fainter deep-sky objects. The brightest among these are two globular clusters, NGC 6934 and NGC 7006, which shine at magnitudes 8.9 and 10.6 respectively. Additionally, the constellation is home to two planetary nebulae, NGC 6905 and NGC 6905, both with a magnitude of 12.",
  "summary": "Delphinus the Dolphin is a tiny constellation that looks like the animal it's supposed to represent. Look for the Dolphin leaping near the Summer Triangle. The post Delphinus the Dolphin has a graceful kite shape first appeared on EarthSky .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}