Lyra, The Harp
Next to Cygnus, the swan flying through the Milky Way, lies tonight’s constellation: Lyra, The Lyre. A ‘lyre’ is an ancient Greek stringed instrument, an early ancestor of the modern harp. It’s often referred to as “The Harp” in modern charts for the sake of familiarity. Lyra’s brightest star Vega shines a piercing blue and is the highest star in the sky after sunset.
Vega is the star that plays a large role in Carl Sagan’s fictional novel and film “Contact.” The body of the lyre is represented by a distinctive parallelogram of four stars. Lyra is home to the famous Ring Nebula (M57), a visually arresting planetary nebula that looks like a pale gray ring through moderate aperture telescopes.
Look for Lyra almost directly overhead by around 9 PM.
Lyra, The Lyre
Plan to join us next Wednesday 8/19 @ 6:00 PM for our virtual program “Getting to the Moon” about NASA’s Apollo program. Email Lexie Martinez at LBmartin@cityofwestminster.us to register.
Check back each weekday @ 5:00 pm for more observing guides and science news!
Learn more at: www.StandleyLakeStargazing.com and on Facebook www.facebook.com/StandleyLakeStargazing
If you'd like to support us, visit patreon.com/StandleyLakeStargazing
Leave comments and questions on our page and feel free to reach us directly at contact@standleylakestargazing.com. As always-
Stay well, and clear skies!