On the night of Tanabata, it is said that Altair and Vega meet across the Milky Way.
Altair is the alpha star of Aquila and one of the Summer Triangle stars.
Standard kanji spelling for the star Altair, especially in the context of the Tanabata legend.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; less common but still used, especially in informal or explanatory contexts.
From 彦 (hiko, 'boy, young man') + 星 (hoshi, 'star'), with rendaku voicing to boshi. The name originates from the Tanabata legend where the star represents the cowherd Hikoboshi.