✧ Lyra

  Lyra is an asterism in Lyra.

                                   ⣀●
                                ⢀⡤⠞⠁
                             ⢀⣠·⠋
                         ⢀⣠⠴⠚⠉⢠⠇
                       ·⠚⠉    ⡼
                      ⢀⡇     ⢀⡇
                      ⢸      ⣸
                      ⡏      ⡇
                     ⢠⠇     ⢸⠁
                     ⣸      ⡏
                     ⡇     ⢰⠃
                    ⢰⠃ ⢀⣀⣠⠤·
                    ·⠒⠋⠉

  Type            Asterism
  Constellation   Lyra
  Stars           5

  More information about Lyra

  Lyra is one brilliant star with a small lopsided rectangle underneath
  it. The star is Vega, the fifth brightest in the night sky, and
  everything else in the constellation is faint. Between the two lower
  corners of the rectangle sits the Ring Nebula, the glowing shell of gas
  thrown off by a dying star. The lyre belongs to Orpheus, but older Greek
  and Arabic lists drew a swooping bird in these stars instead, which is
  where the name Vega comes from: it is worn down from النسر الواقع,
  an-nasr al-waqi', "the falling eagle".

  Etymology
  From        Latin, from Greek
  Reading     Lyra  ·  λύρα
  Literally   the lyre

  The evolution of Lyra over time

  -50,000 years
  
  
  
  
  
  
                                            ⢀⣀⣀⡠⠤·⣄⡀
                                        ·⠒⠋⠉⠉   ⡸⠁ ⠉⠓⠦⣀
                                       ⢰⠃      ⢠⠃      ⠉⠒⠤⣀
                                       ⡜      ⢀⠏           ⠉⠒⢄⡀
                                      ⢠⠃      ⡞               ⠈● Vega
                                      ⡼      ⡸
                                     ⢠⠇     ⢰⠃
                                     ⡸   ⣀⡠⠤· Sheliak
                                     ⠧⠖⠚⠉
                                     · Sulafat
  
  
  
  
  
  
  now
  
  
  
  
  
                                                        ⣀⠔● Vega
                                                     ⢀⡤⠊⠁
                                                 ⣀⡠⠤⢲·
                                             ·⠖⠊⠉   ⡇
                                             ⡇     ⣸
                                            ⢸⠁    ⢀⡇
                                            ⡏     ⣸
                                           ⢸⠁    ⢀⡇
                                           ⡎     ⣸
                                          ⢰⠁    ⢀⡇
                                          ⣎⣀⡤⠔⠒⠉⠁· Sheliak
                                          · Sulafat
  
  
  
  
  
  +50,000 years
  
                                            Vega ●⡀
                                                  ⢇
                                                  ⠸⡄
                                                   ⢧
                                                   ⠘⡄
                                                    ⢣
                                                    ⠈⡆
                                                     ⢱
                                                     ⠈⡇
                                                     ⣀⢽·
                                                  ⣀⠴⠊⠁⡜
                                                 ·    ⡇
                                                ⢰⠃   ⢸⠁
                                                ⡞    ⡸
                                               ⢰⠃    ⡇
                                               ⡞    ⢠⠃
                                              ⢰⠃    ⢸
                                              ⡎    ⣀⡎
                                             ⢰⡡⠤⠖⠊⠉⠁· Sheliak
                                             · Sulafat

  Over 50,000 years either way the longest side of this figure changes by 7%, and the furthest
  any of its stars travels is 5.3 degrees. Sheliak, HR 7139 and Sulafat drift the opposite way
  to the other 2, which travel together. Proper motion only: this is the shape changing, not the
  sky turning or the pole moving.

  curl 'skymap.sh/Lyra/evolution.gif'

  where it is tonight:  skymap.sh/Lyra