Lyra - The LyreLearn about the constellation Lyra - The Lyre, location, facts, mythology, meteor showers and deep space objects.
Lyra is a small constellation, but its principal star, Vega, is one of the brightest in the sky. Vega forms a vertex of the Summer Triangle asterism.
Location: Northern Summer 19h RA 40° Dec
Beginning at the north, Lyra is surrounded by the Dragon Draco, the Greek hero Hercules, the Little Fox Vulpecula and Cygnus the swan.
Mythology
Lyra was considered to be the lyre used by Orpheus to produce music that charmed even Hades, and which was placed into the stars upon his death.
Deep Space Objects
Lyra is home to several deep space objects including M57, also known as the "Ring Nebula" and NGC 6720.
In this table, the observation month represents the month in which the object reaches its highest point in the sky. It can also be viewed a few months before and after depending on your location. Direction is the compass direction in which the object is located, with Z meaning Zenith or overhead.
| # | Image | Common Name | Constellation | Month | Coords | Direction | Mag | Size (arcmin) | Type | Star Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M56 NGC 6779 | Lyra | Aug | 19h 16.6m RA 30° 11m Dec | SW | 8.30 | 8 | Globular Cluster | 🔍︎ | ||
| M57 NGC 6720 | The Ring Nebula | Lyra | Aug | 18h 53.6m RA 33° 02m Dec | SW | 8.80 | 3.83 | Planetary Nebula | 🔍︎ |
More Constellations
| Northern Circumpolar | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camelopardalis | Cassiopeia | Cepheus | Draco | Lacerta | Ursa Major |
| Ursa Minor |
| Northern Spring | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antlia | Boötes | Cancer | Coma Berenices | Crater | Hydra |
| Leo | Leo Minor | Virgo |
| Northern Summer | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aquila | Corona Borealis | Cygnus | Delphinus | Equuleus | Hercules |
| Libra | Lyra | Ophiuchus | Sagitta | Scutum | Serpens |
| Vulpecula |
| Northern Autumn | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andromeda | Aquarius | Aries | Capricornus | Pegasus | Pisces |
| Triangulum |
| Northern Winter | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auriga | Canes Venatici | Canis Major | Canis Minor | Cetus | Eridanus |
| Gemini | Lepus | Lynx | Monoceros | Orion | Perseus |
| Taurus |
