The Greeks, the Romans, and humankind today love to study planets, stars, and constellations. Lots of stars are picked to make a constellations. In the constellation Cygnus the swan, there are ten stars in it. In the constellation Leo the lion, there are sixteen stars in it. While in the constellation Orion the hunter, there are seventeen stars in this amazing constellation of the man. Another constellation is called the Lyra the lyre. In this report, I will explain the Greek mythology, the brightest star, and when is the best time to see it during the year.

First, Greek Mythology. The music player Orpheus used this musical instrument, the Lyra, or the lyre, to bring back his dead wife from the Underworld. There in the Underworld, the souls of the dead rested after the hard times of life. But, forgetting his promise not to look at his wife until they arrived back on Earth, he looked at his wife, sending her back forever, never to see him again. It was said that when Orpheus played the Lyra, the music tamed wild animals.

Second, the brightest star. In the constellation, Lyra, Vega is found. Vega is that largest, and the most beautiful star in this interesting constellation. This star is in fact next to the two twin stars. People today call them the Epsilon Lyrae. These two stars are stationed right next to each other. They also orbit one another, making them rather unique. Did you know that Vega is the fifth brightest star in our solar system. Scientists have also found out that dust particles are forming around Vega, maybe making a new planetary system. Also, in the Lyra, there is a Ring Nebula. people call this, The Dying Star. A dying star forms a ring of gas, and from Earth, it looks like a regular planet.

Third, When is the best time to see the Lyra? The very best time to see the Lyra would be in July, all the way to October. You can still see it in other times of the year, but these times are the very best. It also depends on where you are. As you can see, the Lyra is positioned in the Northern Hemisphere. So if you live near the southern hemisphere, then bummer for you, but there are other stars that you can see.

Though this constellation is actually quite small, it still has many unique side effects, like the cluster of stars people call M56. This cluster of stars that lie in the Lyra are almost 33,000 light-years away from Earth! Studying stars is fun, thrilling, and neat to do, try it some time.

For more information about stars and other planets visit www.survivingtheoregontrail.com

Book Reference:
The Stars
by H. A. Rey