Kalmar "Altair" tana nufin tsarin tauraro a cikin ƙungiyar taurari Aquila. Sunan ya fito daga kalmar larabci "al-nasr al-ta'ir," ma'ana "mikiya mai tashi." Altair yana daya daga cikin taurarin da suka fi haske a sararin sama na dare kuma sananne ne saboda saurin jujjuyawar da yake yi, wanda yakan sa ya bayyana bawul ko karkatacce a sandunansa. Har ila yau, wani ɓangare ne na Triangle Summer, fitaccen asterism wanda ya ƙunshi taurari masu haske guda uku da ake iya gani a lokacin rani na arewaci.