Using a covariant spectator constituent quark model we predict an electric quadrupole moment Q ∆ + = −0.043 efm 2 and a magnetic octupole moment O ∆ + = −0.0035 efm 3 for the ∆ + excited state of the nucleon.Although it was the first nucleon resonance to be discovered, the properties of the ∆ are almost completely unknown. Only the ∆ ++ and ∆ + magnetic moments have been measured, and these measurements have large error bars [1,2,3]. Most of the information we have about the ∆ comes from indirect information, such as the study of the γN → ∆ transition [4].The dominant ∆ elastic form factors are the electric charge G E0 and magnetic dipole G M1 . The subleading form factors are the electric quadrupole (G E2 ) and magnetic octupole (G M3 ). Those form factors measure the deviation of the charge and magnetic dipole distribution from a symmetric form [5]. At Q 2 = 0 the form factors define the magnetic dipolemoments, where e is the electric charge and M ∆ the ∆ mass.Until recently, there were essentially only theoretical predictions for µ ∆ (see Ref.[6] for details) and Q ∆ [7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14]. The exception was the pioneering work in lattice QCD [15], where all the form factors were estimated for low Q 2 , although the statistics for G E2 and G M3 were very poor.Recent lattice QCD calculations of all four form factors over a limited Q 2 range have revived interest in the ∆ moments, especially the interesting quadrupole and octupole moments [16,17]. These results are obtained only for unphysical pion masses in the range of 350-700 MeV so some extrapolation to the physical pion mass is required [18,19]. Still, in the absence of direct experimental information, lattice QCD provides the best reference for theoretical calculations. Stimulated by these new lattice results the covariant spectator quark model [6] and chiral Quark-Soliton model (χQSM) [20] have been used to estimate the ∆ form factors. Simultaneously, a lattice technique based on the background-field method [21] has been used to estimate the µ ∆ with great precision [22]. The octupole moment O ∆ has also been evaluated by Buchmann [5] using a deformed pion cloud model, and QCD sum rules (QCDSR) have been used to estimateThe size of the moments Q ∆ and O ∆ tells us if the ∆ is deformed, and in which direction. The nucleon, as a spin 1/2 particle, can have no electric quadrupole moment [24] [although the possibility remains, as pointed out by Buchmann and Henley [25], that it might be a collective state with an intrinsic quadrupole moment]. While the measurement of the quadrupole form factors for the γN → ∆ transition gives some information about the deformation of the ∆ [26], it is very important to obtain an independent estimate [17,27]. Motivated by these considerations, the Nicosia-MIT and the Adelaide groups are presently working on an evaluation of G M3 using lattice QCD [17,28]. Also Ledwig and collaborators are working in the same subject [20] using the χQSM.In this Letter we use the covariant spectator formalism [29] to evaluate Q ∆ and O ∆ . Foll...