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!