Lyra, the Lyre, is a small but easily recognized constellation in the northern sky, best known for containing Vega, one of the brightest stars visible from Earth. Vega also forms one corner of the famous Summer Triangle, alongside Deneb in Cygnus and Altair in Aquila, making Lyra an excellent starting point for exploring the summer night sky.
Covering just 286 square degrees, Lyra is the 52nd-largest of the 88 recognized constellations. Despite its modest size, it contains several remarkable objects, including the Ring Nebula (M57), the globular cluster M56, and Sheliak, a famous eclipsing binary star.
Where and When to Find Lyra
Lyra is most prominent in the Northern Hemisphere from late spring through autumn, especially on summer evenings when Vega shines high in the sky.
The easiest way to find it is to locate the Summer Triangle, formed by Vega, Deneb, and Altair. Vega is the brightest of the three and marks the northwestern corner of the triangle. Once you have found Vega, look for a small parallelogram of four fainter stars nearby. These are Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Zeta Lyrae, forming the main body of the Lyre. Vega and Epsilon Lyrae lie just beyond one end of the pattern. Lyra is bordered by Cygnus, Hercules, Vulpecula, and Draco.
Lyra and the Summer Triangle
Although Lyra is relatively small, its brightest star makes it one of the most useful constellations for learning the night sky. Vega is usually the first star many observers notice in the Summer Triangle. From Vega, look eastward toward Deneb, the brightest star in Cygnus, and then southward toward Altair in Aquila to complete the large triangular pattern.
Unlike Lyra itself, the Summer Triangle is an asterism, a recognizable star pattern that crosses the boundaries of several constellations. The triangle is especially prominent on summer evenings and remains visible well into autumn. It also provides a convenient guide to the Milky Way, which passes through Cygnus and continues toward Aquila.
Mythology
In Greek mythology, Lyra represents the lyre of Orpheus, a legendary musician whose playing was said to charm animals, trees, and even stones. According to the myth, Orpheus received his instrument from Apollo and became so skilled that he could move almost anyone with his music. His most famous adventure was his attempt to rescue his wife Eurydice from the Underworld. After Orpheus died, his lyre was placed among the stars, where it became the constellation Lyra.
Notable Stars
- Vega (Alpha Lyrae) is the brightest star in Lyra and the fifth-brightest star in the night sky, shining at magnitude +0.03. Located approximately 25 light-years away, it is a white main-sequence star about twice the Sun’s mass. Vega rotates rapidly, causing its equator to bulge and its surface temperature to vary between the poles and equator. It was also close to the north celestial pole thousands of years ago and will become a pole star again in the distant future as Earth’s axis slowly changes direction through precession. Read more about Vega.
- Sulafat (Gamma Lyrae) is the constellation’s second-brightest star, a blue-white giant shining at magnitude +3.3. It forms one corner of Lyra’s distinctive parallelogram and is particularly useful as a guide to the Ring Nebula.
- Sheliak (Beta Lyrae) is a famous eclipsing binary system whose brightness varies as its two stars orbit and partially obscure one another. Its approximately 12.9-day cycle helped establish an important class of variable stars known as Beta Lyrae variables. Sheliak forms another corner of the parallelogram, opposite Sulafat.
- Epsilon Lyrae, popularly known as the Double Double, is a remarkable multiple-star system near Vega. Binoculars reveal two stars close together, while a telescope under good conditions can resolve each into a tighter pair. It is one of the most popular multiple-star targets for amateur astronomers.
Notable Deep-Sky Objects
Lyra contains two Messier objects, both accessible to amateur observers with suitable equipment.
Ring Nebula (M57)
The Ring Nebula (M57, NGC 6720) is Lyra’s most famous deep-sky object and one of the best-known planetary nebulae in the sky. Located approximately 2,000 light-years away, it consists of gas expelled by an aging star during the final stages of its evolution. Ultraviolet radiation from the hot central star causes the surrounding material to glow.
The Ring Nebula shines at approximately magnitude +8.8 and appears as a small, faint oval through a modest telescope. Larger instruments reveal its distinctive ring-shaped structure, while long-exposure photographs show intricate details and colors.
How to find it: Locate Sheliak and Sulafat, the two stars forming the lower edge of Lyra’s parallelogram. M57 lies roughly halfway between them, making it one of the easiest planetary nebulae to locate by star-hopping.
Messier 56 (M56)
Messier 56 (NGC 6779) is a globular star cluster approximately 33,000 light-years away, containing a dense collection of ancient stars. It shines at around magnitude +8.3 and lies between Sulafat in Lyra and Albireo in Cygnus. M56 appears as a faint, fuzzy patch through small telescopes, while larger instruments can begin to resolve its individual stars.
Other deep-sky objects in Lyra include NGC 6745, a distant interacting galaxy system sometimes called the Bird’s Head Galaxy.
Meteor Showers
Lyra is associated with the Lyrids, one of the oldest recorded meteor showers, with observations dating back more than 2,600 years. The shower is active during April and usually peaks around April 22, when observers under dark skies may see approximately 15–20 meteors per hour under favorable conditions. Occasionally, the Lyrids produce much stronger outbursts. The meteors appear to radiate from a point near Lyra, although they can streak across any part of the sky. They originate from debris left behind by Comet Thatcher (C/1861 G1).