This 1815 illustration depicts the constellation originally known as Vulpecula et Anser–the little fox and goose. Today, it's known simply as Vulpecula, the fox. Its brightest star, Anser (the goose), maintains the constellation's background. The star is a red giant, which means it is old and bloated. It's about 11 billion years old. That's roughly the same age at which the Sun will puff up to become a red giant as well. The constellations Cygnus (the large swan above the fox and goose), Lacerta, and Lyra surround the constellation. [Sidney Hall/Wikipedia]
Find out more in our radio program entitled The Goose.