HELLO STARSHINES, AS WE ENTER JUNE,
WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT ONE OF
THE CONSTELLATIONS THAT MAKES UP THE SUMMER
TRIANGLE THE MUSICAL MINI: LYRA THE HARP.
HIT THE SKIES ANY NIGHT THIS WEEK, A COUPLE HOURS
AFTER SUNSET. IF YOU LOOK EAST YOU WILL SEE THE
STARS OF LYRA RISING AT THE TOP OF THE SUMMER
TRIANGLE, IT S SMALL, SO LET S GET A CLOSER LOOK.
THE BRIGHTEST STAR IN LYRA
IS VEGA; A BLUE-WHITE STAR,
25 LIGHT YEARS FROM EARTH. TRAVELING
COUNTER-CLOCKWISE FROM VEGA,
WE HAVE FOUR STARS FORMING A PARALLELOGRAM,
THEY ARE ZETA LYRAE, DELTA LYRAE AND THE
TWO ON THE FAR END ARE, SULAFAT AND SHELIAK.
LYRA IS SAID TO BELONG TO APOLLO AND
WAS SUBSEQUENTLY GIVEN TO ORPHEUS.
ORPHEUS WAS SO SKILLED AT PLAYING THE HARP, THAT
THE MUSIC WAS SAID TO CHARM ANY-ONE WHO HEARD IT.
LYRA SITS INSIDE THE AREA OF THE
SUMMER TRIANGLE WITH STARS DENEB
AND ALTAIR! LEARN MORE ABOUT IT ON OUR WEBSITE!
KEEP LOOKING UP!