Lyra

Lyra is a northern summer constellation, which is highest in the midnight sky in the months around June. It is best known for its brightest star, Vega, which forms one vertex of the Summer Triangle asterism. Vega is the fourth brightest star in the whole sky, and defines the zero point of the magnitude system. It is one of 48 listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy.

Lyra’s other stars are all much fainter than Vega; none are brighter than third magnitude.

This area of the sky is home to the celebrated planetary nebula M57, the Ring Nebula, one of the brightest in the sky. It is also home to the globular cluster M56.

In Greek mythology, the lyre represented here was the first lyre ever made, belonging to Orpheus, the greatest musician of his age. In earlier times, the Arabs saw an eagle in the same sky area: the name of the star Vega means ‘the swooping eagle’ in Arabic.

It is said that when Orpheus played on his harp, usually love songs to his bride Eurydice, that people and animals would stop what they were doing just to listen. Some stories relate how even the trees would cease movement when he played. One day, Eurydice died suddenly which broke Orpheus’ heart. In his loneliness, Orpheus attempted to win her back from Hades, ruler of the underworld. Orpheus began his descent into the underworld playing his lyre. As he approached Hades, he was pleased to see that Hades greatly enjoyed his music. After a while, Orpheus stopped playing his music. Hades asked him to resume playing the beautiful love songs on his lyre. Orpheus agreed on one condition: that when he had finished, Hades would release his beloved Eurydice to him. Hades agreed, and Orpheus again began to play. At the conclusion of his music, Orpheus asked Hades for his wife. Hades replied that she would indeed be released on one condition: that Orpheus would trust Hades to keep his word and would return to the upper world playing his music, not ever looking back to see if she were following. If Orpheus doubted or did not trust Hades and looked back, Eurydice would be taken back by Hades into the underworld. So Orpheus began his return trip playing his music. Behind him he could hear the footsteps of Eurydice, which thrilled him greatly. However, to test Orpheus’ trust, the return route Hades insisted on lead through a pine grove. As Orpheus approached the upper world he passed through this pine grove, but he could not hear the footsteps of his beloved Eurydice. Unable to endure the quiet any longer, Orpheus glanced over his shoulder to witness Eurydice fade before his gaze, taken by Hades back to the underworld. Upon Orpheus’ death, Zeus placed the constellation Lyra into the heavens in honor of his beautiful music and also to honor the great love Orpheus had for Eurydice.

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.

In Wales, Lyra is known as King Arthur’s Harp (Talyn Arthur), and King David’s harp. The Persian Hafiz called it the Lyre of Zurah. It has been called the Manger of the Infant Saviour, Praesepe Salvatoris. In Australian Aboriginal astronomy, Lyra is known by the Boorong people in Victoria as the Malleefowl constellation. Lyra was known as Urcuchillay by the Incas and was worshipped as an animal deity.

In the Indian system, Lyra is called ವೀಣಾ (Veena)

Lyra contains:

• Stars
  • Vega (mag 0.0)
  • Sulafat (mag 3.2)
  • Sheliak (mag 3.6)
  • R Lyr (mag 4.2)
  • δ²-Lyr (mag 4.3)
  • ζ¹-Lyr (mag 4.3)
  • κ-Lyr (mag 4.3)
  • θ-Lyr (mag 4.3)
  • η-Lyr (mag 4.4)
  • HD 173780 (mag 4.8)
  • λ-Lyr (mag 4.9)
  • HD (mag 5.0)
  • 16-Lyr (mag 5.0)
  • μ-Lyr (mag 5.1)
  • ε²-Lyr (mag 5.2)
  • ν-Lyr (mag 5.2)
  • HD 176051 (mag 5.2)
  • 17-Lyr (mag 5.2)
  • ι-Lyr (mag 5.2)
  • HD 176527 (mag 5.3)
  • HD (mag 5.4)
  • ε²-Lyr (mag 5.4)
  • HD 172044 (mag 5.4)
  • HD 171301 (mag 5.5)
  • HD 175740 (mag 5.5)
• Open Clusters
  • NGC 6791 (mag 9.5)
• Globular Clusters
  • Messier 56 (mag 8.4)
• Galaxy
  • NGC 6703 (mag 11.3)
  • NGC 6710 (mag 12.8)
  • NGC 6702 (mag 13.1)
  • NGC 6675 (mag 13.3)
  • NGC 6792 (mag 13.4)
  • NGC 6695 (mag 13.5)
  • NGC 6646 (mag 13.7)
  • NGC 6671 (mag 13.8)
  • NGC 6688 (mag 13.9)
  • NGC 6700 (mag 14.2)
  • NGC 6657 (mag 14.2)
  • NGC 6640 (mag 14.2)
  • NGC 6713 (mag 14.2)
  • NGC 6692 (mag 14.3)
  • IC 1288 (mag 14.3)
  • NGC 6606 (mag 14.4)
  • NGC 6665 (mag 14.6)
  • NGC 6663 (mag 14.8)
  • NGC 6686 (mag 14.9)
  • NGC 6662 (mag 14.9)
  • IC 4772 (mag 15.0)
  • IC 1296 (mag 15.4)
  • NGC 6740 (mag 15.5)
  • NGC 6612 (mag 15.6)
  • NGC 6745 (mag 16.3)