Lyra

Constellation

Represents a lyre, home to Vega, one of the brightest stars in the northern sky.

Facts

TypeConstellation
Area of sky286 sq°
Brightest starVega
Brightest star magnitudemag 0.03
HemisphereNorthern
Zodiac constellationNo
Discovered150

Lyra in context

A constellation is a pattern drawn on the sky rather than a physical grouping: its stars are usually unrelated and sit at wildly different distances, just lined up as seen from Earth.

Lyra covers 286 square degrees of sky, which is 0.7 percent of the whole celestial sphere.

That makes it the 52nd largest of the 88 constellations the International Astronomical Union recognises.

It sits in the northern sky.

Its brightest star reaches magnitude 0.03, bright enough to pick out with the naked eye under a dark sky.

Play today's Cosmodle