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Encyclopedia > Lyra
Lyra
Lyra
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List of stars in Lyra
Abbreviation: Lyr
Genitive: Lyrae
Symbology: the Lyre
Right ascension: 19 h
Declination: 40°
Area: 286 sq. deg. (52nd)
Main stars: 5
Bayer/Flamsteed stars: 21
Stars with known planets: 3
Bright stars: 1
Nearby stars: 5
Brightest star: Vega (α Lyrae) (0.03m)
Nearest star: Vega (α Lyrae) (25.27 ly)
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

Lyra (IPA: /ˈlʌɪrə/, Latin: lyre) is one of the 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy, and is one of the 88 modern constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union. 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. Lyra took its name from the stringed musical instrument well known for its use in Classical Antiquity and still in some areas of Greece. This is a celestial map of the constellation Lyra, the Lyre. ... This is the list of notable stars in the constellation Lyra, sorted by decreasing brightness. ... The genitive case is a grammatical case that indicates a relationship, primarily one of possession, between the noun in the genitive case and another noun. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Equatorial Coordinates Right ascension (abbrev. ... In astronomy, declination (abbrev. ... Here is a list of the 88 modern constellations by their area in the sky, measured in square degrees. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Flamsteed designations for stars are similar to Bayer designations, except that they use numbers instead of Greek letters. ... Vega (α Lyr / α Lyrae / Alpha Lyrae) is the brightest star in the constellation Lyra, and the fifth brightest star in the sky. ... The apparent magnitude (m) of a star, planet or other celestial body is a measure of its apparent brightness as seen by an observer on Earth. ... A light-year or lightyear (symbol: ly) is a unit of measurement of length, specifically the distance light travels in vacuum in one year. ... The Messier objects are a set of astronomical objects catalogued by Charles Messier in his catalogue of Nebulae and Star Clusters first published in 1774. ... The Taurids Meteor Shower A meteor shower, some of which are known as a meteor storm or meteor outburst, is a celestial event where a group of meteors are observed to radiate from one point in the sky. ... The Lyrids are a strong meteor shower lasting from April 15 to April 28 each year. ... Draco (IPA: , Latin: ) is a far northern constellation that is circumpolar for many northern hemisphere observers. ... Hercules (IPA: ) is the fifth largest of the 88 modern constellations. ... Vulpecula (IPA: , Latin: ) is a faint northern constellation located in the middle of the Summer Triangle, an asterism consisting of the bright stars Deneb, Vega and Altair. ... Cygnus (IPA: , Latin: ) is a northern constellation. ... Lyra can refer to: Lyra, a constellation. ... Articles with similar titles include the NATO phonetic alphabet, which has also informally been called the “International Phonetic Alphabet”. For information on how to read IPA transcriptions of English words, see IPA chart for English. ... Latin was the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A medieval artists rendition of Claudius Ptolemaeus Claudius Ptolemaeus (Greek: ; ca. ... Logo of the IAU The International Astronomical Union (French: Union astronomique internationale) unites national astronomical societies from around the world. ... Vega (α Lyr / α Lyrae / Alpha Lyrae) is the brightest star in the constellation Lyra, and the fifth brightest star in the sky. ... The Summer Triangle is an astronomical asterism involving an imaginary triangle drawn on the northern hemispheres celestial sphere, with its defining vertices at Altair, Deneb, and Vega. ... In astronomy, an asterism is a pattern of stars seen in Earths sky which is not an official constellation. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, which begins roughly with the earliest-recorded Greek poetry of Homer (7th century BC), and continues through the rise of Christianity and the fall of the Western Roman Empire (5th century AD... Crete is an island that is a part of Greece. ...


According to ancient Greek mythology, the young god Hermes created the lyre from the body of a large tortoise shell (khelus) which he covered with animal hide and antelope horns. Lyres were associated with Apollonian virtues of moderation and equilibrium, contrasting the Dionysian pipes which represented ecstasy and celebration. The bust of Zeus found at Otricoli (Sala Rotonda, Museo Pio-Clementino, Vatican) Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. ... Hermes bearing the infant Dionysus, by Praxiteles, found at the Heraion, Olympia, 1877 Hermes (Greek, , IPA: ), in Greek mythology, is the Olympian god of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of orators and wit, of literature and poets, of athletics, of weights and measures... Lycian Apollo, early Imperial Roman copy of a fourth century Greek original (Louvre Museum) In Greek and Roman mythology, Apollo (Ancient Greek , Apóllōn; or , Apellōn), the ideal of the kouros (a beardless youth), was the archer-god of medicine and healing, light, truth, archery and also a... Dionysus with a leopard, satyr and grapes on a vine, in the Palazzo Altemps (Rome, Italy) Dionysus or Dionysos (from the Ancient Greek Διώνυσος or Διόνυσος, associated with the Italic Liber), the Thracian god of wine, represents not only the intoxicating power of wine, but also its social and beneficial influences. ...


Beginning at the north, Lyra is surrounded by the Dragon Draco, the Greek hero Hercules, the Little Fox Vulpecula and Cygnus the swan. Draco (IPA: , Latin: ) is a far northern constellation that is circumpolar for many northern hemisphere observers. ... Hercules (IPA: ) is the fifth largest of the 88 modern constellations. ... Vulpecula (IPA: , Latin: ) is a faint northern constellation located in the middle of the Summer Triangle, an asterism consisting of the bright stars Deneb, Vega and Altair. ... Cygnus (IPA: , Latin: ) is a northern constellation. ...

Contents

Notable features

Here are some of Lyra's brighter stars:

  • α Lyr (Vega): with an apparent brightness of 0.03m this is the second brightest star of the northern hemisphere (after Arcturus) and the fifth brightest star in all; its spectral class is A0 V and it lies at a distance of only 25.3 ly. It was the first star to be photographed.
  • β Lyr (Sheliak): a group of eclipsing binaries is named after this variable star (3.45m, spectral class B8 II), the Beta-Lyrae-stars.
  • γ Lyr (Sulafat): the main star of this multiple star system is of magnitude 3.24m and spectral class B9 III
  • δ Lyr: a double star consisting of a blue-white star of mag. 6m and a semi-regular red giant varying between 4m and 5m.
  • ε Lyr: a well-known quadruple star, also called "the Double Double" because each of the two brighter components is itself a close double.
  • ζ Lyr: another double star which can be split using binoculars.
  • RR Lyr: lent its name to a class of pulsating variable stars, the RR Lyrae-stars.

Vega (α Lyr / α Lyrae / Alpha Lyrae) is the brightest star in the constellation Lyra, and the fifth brightest star in the sky. ... Arcturus (α Boo / α Boötis / Alpha Boötis) (IPA: ) is the brightest star in the constellation Boötes, and the third brightest star in the night sky, with a visual magnitude of −0. ... Animation showing how the light curve of a contact binary star changes as they orbit Beta Lyrae (β Lyr / β Lyrae) is a star in the constellation of Lyra. ... Most stars are of almost constant luminosity. ... Sulafat (also Sulaphat, arab. ... [http://www. ... RR Lyrae is a variable star in the Lyra constellation. ... Hertzsprung-Russell diagram adapted from Powell. ...

Notable deep sky objects

  • M56: a rather loose globular cluster at a distance of approximately 32,900 ly with a diameter of about 85 ly. Its apparent brightness is 8.3m.
  • M57: also known as the "Ring Nebula", this is one of the best known of all planetary nebulae; its integrated magnitude is 8.8m; it is thought to be between 6,000 and 8,000 years old as we see it today.
  • Kuiper 90: also known as 17 Lyrae C (Gliese 747AB), a red dwarf system near 17 Lyrae, but really at 26 l.y. from the Sun. Period: 5 years, magnitude: 11.26 in V band.

Globular Cluster M56 (also known as Messier Object 56, Messier 56, M56, or NGC 6779) is a globular cluster in the Lyra constellation. ... The Globular Cluster M80 in the constellation Scorpius is located about 28,000 light years from the Sun and contains hundreds of thousands of stars. ... Planetary Nebula M57 (also known as the Ring Nebula, NGC 6720 or Messier Object 57) is located in the constellation Lyra. ... NGC 6543, the Cats Eye Nebula A planetary nebula is an astronomical object consisting of a glowing shell of gas and plasma formed by certain types of stars at the end of their lives. ... Is a red dwarf star in Lyra located near 17 Lyrae (19h 05m 43. ... A red dwarf star located in Lyra near 17 Lyrae (19h 05m 43. ... An artists impression of a planet in orbit around a red dwarf According to the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, a red dwarf star is a small and relatively cool star, of the main sequence, either late K or M spectral type. ...

Mythology

Older maps of the sky show a bird, especially a vulture (Vultur cadens), in this position, since in early times the constellation and its stars, were taken to resemble one. [1] As such, together with other constellations in the Zodiacal sign of Sagittarius (specifically, Cygnus, Aquila and Sagittarius itself), Lyra may be a significant part of the origin of the myth of the Stymphalian Birds, one of The Twelve Labours of Herakles. Orders Falconiformes (Fam. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ... For other uses, see Sagittarius. ... In Greek mythology, the Stymphalian Birds were birds with claws of brass and sharp metallic feathers they could launch at their victims, and also they were Ares pets. ... Hercules and the Hydra by Antonio Pollaiuolo The Twelve Labours (Greek: dodekathlos) of Heracles (Latin: Hercules) are a series of archaic episodes connected by a later continuous narrative, concerning a penance carried out by Heracles, the greatest of the Greek heroes. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Heracles. ...


By taking into account nearly parallel lines of fainter stars in the centre of the constellation, it appears to resemble a lyre, and consequently Lyra gradually shifted from being considered a vulture to being considered a lyre; for a while, it was even regarded as a vulture holding a lyre. Associated with its identity as a lyre, 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. The head of Orpheus, from an 1865 painting by Gustave Moreau. ... Hades, Greek god of the underworld, enthroned, with his bird-headed staff, on a red-figure Apulian vase made in the 4th century BC. For other uses, see Hades (disambiguation). ...


In Australian Aboriginal Astronomy, Lyra is known by the Boorong people in Victoria as the Mallee-fowl constellation. Many of the Australian Aboriginal cultures have a strong element of astronomy. ... Capital Melbourne Government Constitutional monarchy Governor David de Kretser Premier Steve Bracks (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 37  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $222,022 (2nd)  - Product per capita  $44,443/person (5th) Population (End of September 2006)  - Population  5,110,500 (2nd)  - Density  22. ... The term mallee has several separate but inter-related meanings. ...


Triva

  • The constellation Lyra is featured as the location of the home-planted of "prot" in the movie K-PAX

Book Cover K-PAX is the name of the first novel in the K-PAX trilogy by Gene Brewer and a film based on the series: K-PAX (1995) K-PAX (2001)— film K-PAX II: On a Beam of Light (2001) K-PAX III: Worlds of Prot (2002) K...

See also

This is the list of notable stars in the constellation Lyra, sorted by decreasing brightness. ... This is a list of constellations that have featured in popular culture. ...

Reference

  • Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion (2007). Collins Stars and Planets Guide, HarperCollins, London. ISBN 978-0007251209.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Lyra
  • The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Lyra
  • WIKISKY.ORG: Lyra
The 88 modern Constellations
Andromeda • Antlia • Apus • Aquarius • Aquila • Ara • Aries • Auriga • Boötes • Caelum • Camelopardalis • Cancer • Canes Venatici • Canis Major • Canis Minor • Capricornus • Carina • Cassiopeia • Centaurus • Cepheus • Cetus • Chamaeleon • Circinus • Columba • Coma Berenices • Corona Australis • Corona Borealis • Corvus • Crater • Crux • Cygnus • Delphinus • Dorado • Draco • Equuleus • Eridanus • Fornax • Gemini • Grus • Hercules • Horologium • Hydra • Hydrus • Indus • Lacerta • Leo • Leo Minor • Lepus • Libra • Lupus • Lynx • Lyra • Mensa • Microscopium • Monoceros • Musca • Norma • Octans • Ophiuchus • Orion • Pavo • Pegasus • Perseus • Phoenix • Pictor • Pisces • Piscis Austrinus • Puppis • Pyxis • Reticulum • Sagitta • Sagittarius • Scorpius • Sculptor • Scutum • Serpens • Sextans • Taurus • Telescopium • Triangulum • Triangulum Australe • Tucana • Ursa Major • Ursa Minor • Vela • Virgo • Volans • Vulpecula

  Results from FactBites:
 
"Lyra - Crystalinks (1083 words)
On older skymaps Lyra ist represented as a bird: Vultur, the Vulture.
Lyra the 'Lyre' or 'Harp' is the instrument invented by Hermes (Mercury) and given to Apollo his half-brother, who in turn gave it to his son Orpheus, the musician of the Argonauts, and son of Apollo and the muse Calliope.
Lyra may be easily be seen because of Vega, at zero magnitude the second brightest star in the northern sky.
Lyra. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-05 (166 words)
The white star Vega (Alpha Lyrae), the brightest star in the constellation, is one of the brightest in the entire sky.
Also in Lyra is the Ring Nebula, the most famous of the planetary nebulae, consisting of a shell of gas separated from and expanding from a central star.
Lyra reaches its highest point in the evening sky in August.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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