Stargazers in the UK can easily find the constellation Lyra, also known as the lyre, high overhead after darkness falls this week. The brilliant white star Vega acts as a guide to locate this small constellation.
Vega, which is the fifth-brightest star in the night sky, forms one corner of the summer triangle, alongside Deneb in Cygnus and Altair in Aquila. Once Vega is located, the rest of Lyra's fainter stars can be traced.
Lyra is one of the 48 constellations originally identified by the second-century astronomer Ptolemy. It is named after the harp played by the Greek poet Orpheus, whose music was said to charm animals and influence gods.