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Star profile

Zeta 1 Lyrae

3D likeness based on its real data · class A · ~8,500 K

What is Zeta 1 Lyrae

Zeta-1 Lyrae forms, with its companion Zeta-2, one of the Lyre's most celebrated optical pairs —resolvable to the naked eye under dark skies. It is a white A-type star some 156 light-years away, close in the sky to Vega, the dazzling alpha of the constellation. Its position makes it a classic visual benchmark for those gauging the sharpness of their sight on a summer night.

Where it is and when to see it

Zeta 1 Lyrae lies in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is July, when it culminates around midnight.

  • From London it culminates about 76° above the horizon.
  • From New York it culminates about 87° above the horizon.
  • From Sydney it culminates about 18° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere north of 52° S.

It ranks no. 7 in brightness among the 37 stars of Lyra in our catalogue. To find it, start from Vega, the brightest: it lies about 2° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 160 years ago.

Find it on the sky map

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Leave your signature on Zeta 1 Lyrae

Your name and a message go up on the map for everyone to read. Signing is free.

Without a lock, someone else can replace your signature. How the lock works

We'll ask for an email to confirm it's you, no password.

A public signature from a real person. The chosen name is a symbolic denomination within Stelvia, with no official standing or IAU recognition: the sky is not for sale and belongs to no one.

Astronomical data for Zeta 1 Lyrae

Constellation
Lyra
Apparent magnitude
4.34
Distance
156.2 light years
Coordinates (J2000)
RA 281.193° · Dec 37.605°
Catalogue
HIP 91971 · HD 173648

A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.

Other stars in Lyra

Lyra has 37 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.

See all 37 stars in Lyra