Lyra is a small constellation. It is one of the 48 listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and is one of the modern 88 constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union. Lyra was often represented on star maps as a vulture or an eagle carrying a lyre, and hence is sometimes referred to as Vultur Cadens or Aquila Cadens, respectively. Beginning at the north, Lyra is bordered by Draco, Hercules, Vulpecula, and Cygnus. Lyra is nearly overhead in temperate northern latitudes shortly after midnight at the start of summer. From the equator to about the 40th parallel south it is visible low in the northern sky during the same months.
Castor is the second-brightest object in the zodiac constellation of Gemini. It has the Bayer designation α Geminorum, which is Latinised to Alpha Geminorum and abbreviated Alpha Gem or α Gem. With an apparent visual magnitude of 1.93, it is one of the brightest stars in the night sky. Castor appears singular to the naked eye, but it is actually a sextuple star system organized into three binary pairs. Although it is the 'α' (alpha) member of the constellation, it is fainter than 'β' (beta) Geminorum, Pollux.
Xi Boötis, Latinised from ξ Boötis, is a binary star system located at a distance of 22 light-years away from Earth. It is the nearest visible star in the constellation Boötes. The brighter, primary component of the pair has a visual magnitude of 4.70, making it visible to the naked eye.
Capella is the brightest star in the northern constellation of Auriga. It has the Bayer designation α Aurigae, which is Latinised to Alpha Aurigae and abbreviated Alpha Aur or α Aur. Capella is the sixth-brightest star in the night sky, and the third-brightest in the northern celestial hemisphere after Arcturus and Vega. A prominent object in the northern winter sky, it is circumpolar to observers north of 44°N. Its name meaning "little goat" in Latin, Capella depicted the goat Amalthea that suckled Zeus in classical mythology. Capella is relatively close, at 42.9 light-years (13.2 pc) from the Sun. It is one of the brightest X-ray sources in the sky, thought to come primarily from the corona of Capella Aa.
Struve 2398 is a binary star system in the northern constellation of Draco. Struve 2398 is star number 2398 in the Struve Double Star Catalog of Russian-German astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve. The astronomer's surname, and hence the star identifier, is sometimes indicated by a Greek sigma, Σ; hence, this system can be listed with the identifier Σ 2398. Although the components are too faint to be viewed with the naked eye, this star system is among the closest to the Sun. Parallax measurements by the Gaia spacecraft give them an estimated distance of 11.5 light-years away.
Zeta Boötis, Latinized from ζ Boötis, is a binary star system in the constellation of Boötes. They have the Flamsteed designation 30 Boötis; Zeta Boötis is the Bayer designation. This system is visible to the naked eye with a combined apparent magnitude of +3.78. The individual magnitudes differ slightly, with component A having a magnitude of 4.46 and component B at the slightly dimmer magnitude 4.55. It is located at a distance of approximately 180 light years from the Sun based on parallax, but is drifting closer with a radial velocity of −9 km/s.
HD 50281 is a star in the equatorial constellation of Monoceros. It is orange in hue with an apparent visual magnitude of 6.58, which lies at or below the typical limit of visibility to the naked eye. The star is located at a distance of 28.5 light years from the Sun based on parallax, but is drifting closer with a radial velocity of −7.2 km/s.
GRW +70 8247 is a white dwarf star located 42 light-years from Earth in the constellation Draco. With a magnitude of about 13 it is visible only through a large telescope.
HD 178911 is a triple star system with an exoplanetary companion in the northern constellation of Lyra. With a combined apparent visual magnitude of 6.70, it is a challenge to view with the naked eye. The system is located at a distance of approximately 161 light years from the Sun based on parallax measurements, but is drifting closer with a radial velocity of −38 km/s.
HR 5553 is a binary star system located thirty-eight light-years away from the Sun, in the northern constellation Boötes. It has the variable star designation DE Boötis, and is classified as an RS Canum Venaticorum variable that ranges in apparent visual magnitude from 5.97 down to 6.04, which is bright enough to be dimly visible to the naked eye. The system is drifting closer to the Sun with a radial velocity of −30 km/s, and is expected to come as close as 26.9 light-years in 210,000 years.
Gliese 649 is a small star with an orbiting exoplanet in the constellation Hercules. It has an apparent visual magnitude of 9.7, which is too faint to be seen with the naked eye. The system is located at a distance of 33.9 light years based on parallax, and is drifting further away with a radial velocity of 3.8 km/s.
HIP 79431 is a red dwarf star with a non-stellar companion in the constellation Scorpius. It has the proper name Sharjah, as selected in the NameExoWorlds campaign by United Arab Emirates, during the 100th anniversary of the IAU. Sharjah is the cultural capital of United Arab Emirates. The star has an apparent visual magnitude of 11.34, which is far too faint to be visible to the naked eye. Based on parallax measurements, this system is located at a distance of 47.4 light-years from the Sun. It is drifting closer with a radial velocity of −5 km/s.
26 Draconis is a triple star system in the constellation Draco, located 46 light years from the Sun. Two of the system components, A and B, form a spectroscopic binary that completes an orbit every 76 years. The composite spectral classification of the AB pair is G0V, which decomposes to individual spectral types F9V and K3V. A 1962 study estimated the masses of these two stars as 1.30 and 0.83 times the mass of the Sun, respectively. The stars are considered moderately metal-poor compared to the Sun, which means they have a lower proportion of elements other than hydrogen or helium.
Epsilon Herculis, Latinized from ε Herculis, is a fourth-magnitude multiple star system in the northern constellation of Hercules. The combined apparent visual magnitude of 3.9111 is bright enough to make this system visible to the naked eye. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 21.04 mas as seen from Earth, it is located 155 light years from the Sun. The system is moving closer to the Sun with a radial velocity of −25 km/s.
V1054 Ophiuchi, together with the star Gliese 643, is a nearby quintuple star system. In the constellation Ophiuchus at a distance of 21.19 light-years. It consists of five stars, all of which are red dwarfs. The alternative designation of Wolf 630 forms the namesake of a moving group of stars that share a similar motion through space.
1 Geminorum is a star in the constellation Gemini. Its apparent magnitude is 4.15.
Xi Pegasi is the Bayer designation for a double star in the northern constellation of Pegasus, the winged horse. Located in the horse's neck, the primary component is an F-type main sequence star that is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.2. It is 86% larger and 17% more massive that the Sun, radiating 4.5 times the solar luminosity. Based upon parallax measurements taken with the Hipparcos spacecraft, it is located 53.2 ± 0.2 light years from the Sun.
99 Herculis is the Flamsteed designation for a binary star system in the northern constellation of Hercules. It has the Bayer designation b Herculis, while 99 Herculis is the Flamsteed designation. This system has an apparent visual magnitude of 5.1, which, according to the Bortle scale, makes it faintly visible to the naked eye from suburban skies. Measurements made with the Hipparcos spacecraft show an annual parallax shift of 0.064″, corresponding to a physical distance of about 51.0 ly (15.6 pc) from the Sun. The system is moving further from the Earth with a heliocentric radial velocity of +1.7 km/s.
HD 163840 is a binary star system in the northern constellation of Hercules. It has a combined apparent visual magnitude of 6.45, which falls just below the brightness level that is visible to the naked eye for people with normal eyesight. An annual parallax shift of 35.40 mas provides a distance estimate of about 92 light years. The system is moving closer to the Sun with a radial velocity of −33 km/s. In about 769,000 years, it will make perihelion at a separation of around 27.2 ly (8.33 pc).
9 Puppis is a binary star system in the southern constellation of Puppis. It was originally designated 9 Argus, being part of the now defunct Argo Navis constellation. The system is faintly visible to the naked eye as a point of light with a combined apparent visual magnitude of 5.16. The magnitude difference between the two stars is 0.65. Parallax measurements yield a distance estimate to 9 Puppis of approximately 54 light years from the Sun, with the dynamic and trigonometric parallaxes for the system being in close agreement. It is drifting closer with a systemic radial velocity of –21 km/s. The motion of the system through space is predicted to bring it as close as 42.2 light-years in about 292,000 years.
