| Constellation | |
 | |
| Abbreviation | Lyr |
|---|---|
| Genitive | Lyrae |
| Pronunciation | /ˈlaɪrə/, genitive /ˈlaɪriː/ |
| Symbolism | Lyre, harp |
| Right ascension | 18h 14m to 19h 28m |
| Declination | 25.66° to 47.71° |
| Quadrant | NQ4 |
| Area | 286 sq. deg. (52nd) |
| Main stars | 5 |
| Bayer/Flamsteed stars | 25 |
| Stars brighter than 3.00m | 1 (Vega) |
| Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 3[n 1] |
| Brightest star | Vega (α Lyr) (0.03m) |
| Messier objects | 2 |
| Meteor showers | Lyrids June Lyrids Alpha Lyrids |
| Bordering constellations | Draco Hercules Vulpecula Cygnus |
| Visible at latitudes between +90° and −40°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of August. [1] | |
Lyra (Latin for 'lyre', from Ancient Greek: λύρα; pronounced: /ˈlaɪrə/ LY-rə)[2] is a small constellation. It is one of the 48 listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and is one of the modern 88 constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union. Lyra was often represented on star maps as a vulture or an eagle carrying a lyre, and hence is sometimes referred to as Vultur Cadens or Aquila Cadens ("Falling Vulture"[3] or "Falling Eagle"), respectively. Beginning at the north, Lyra is bordered by Draco, Hercules, Vulpecula, and Cygnus. Lyra is nearly overhead in temperate northern latitudes shortly after midnight at the start of summer. From the equator to about the 40th parallel south it is visible low in the northern sky during the same (thus winter) months.
Vega, Lyra's brightest star, is one of the brightest stars in the night sky, and forms a corner of the famed Summer Triangle asterism. Beta Lyrae is the prototype of a class of binary stars known as Beta Lyrae variables. These binary stars are so close to each other that they become egg-shaped and material flows from one to the other. Epsilon Lyrae, known informally as the Double Double, is a complex multiple star system. Lyra also hosts the Ring Nebula, the second-discovered and best-known planetary nebula.
Cite error: There are <ref group=n> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=n}} template (see the help page).
- ^ Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion (2007). Stars and Planets Guide, Collins, London. ISBN 978-0-00-725120-9. Princeton University Press, Princeton. ISBN 978-0-691-13556-4.
- ^ Lesley Brown: The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary. Vol. 1: A−M. Clarendon Press, Oxford 1993, p. 1651
- ^ Bistue, Belen (May 23, 2016). Collaborative Translation and Multi-Version Texts in Early Modern Europe. Routledge. pp. 72–73. ISBN 978-1317164357.