When is the best time to observe 17 Lyrae?

17 Lyrae is best observed from June through August, with peak visibility during July when it transits around midnight in the Northern Hemisphere.

Where is 17 Lyrae located in the sky?

17 Lyrae lies in the constellation Lyra at right ascension 19h 07m and declination +32° 30′.

What telescope do I need to split 17 Lyrae?

Splitting 17 Lyrae requires an aperture of roughly 100 mm or larger — the components are separated by about 3.2″ at magnitudes near 5.2. The companion is about 3.9 magnitudes fainter, so glare from the primary — not separation — sets the minimum aperture. Larger apertures and steady seeing help resolve the pair cleanly.

17 Lyrae — Double Star in Lyra

Magnitude 5.2^m DoubleStar Lyra (Lyr) Visible

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Observe

1Physical Properties

Magnitude 5.23

Spectral Type F0V

Star Color Yellow-white (B-V 0.34)

Distance 192 ly

2Position & Identifiers

RA 19h 07m 25.6s

Dec +32° 30' 06.0"

Constellation Lyra (Lyr)

HR 7261

HIP 93917

HD 178449

SAO 67835

Flamsteed 17 Lyr

Double Cat 12061

SIMBAD

3How easy to split?

Primary 5.2 mag Companion 9.1 mag Separation 3.2″

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Telescope	Bortle 3	Bortle 4	Bortle 5
80 mm refractor 80mm refr.	Hard	Hard	Hard
150 mm Newton 150mm Newt.	Medium	Medium	Medium
Celestron C8 (203 mm SCT) C8 203mm	Medium+	Medium+	Medium+

Easy Medium Hard Very hard Impossible

Bortle 3 = rural · 4 = outer suburbs · 5 = suburbs

4Visibility

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Best season Jun – Aug (peak: Jul)

5Multiple Star System 10 components C,D,E,F,I: optical

Components 10

Component IDs AB

Separation 3.2″

Companion Mag 9.1

Companion Sp M3V

Position Angle 281°

Star Colors A: Yellow-white B: Red

Discoverer STF2461

Notes

AB binary. Other companions probably optical.

Separation over time

Measured 1828 → 2017 (189 y)

Separation drift 2.5" → 3.2" (+0.70")

Rate +0.0037" / y

PA drift 328° → 281° (-47°, -0.249°/y)

Slow change over generations — observable in lifetime comparisons.

Measured from the WDS observational archive. No orbital solution has been derived — most likely the period is too long to fit an orbit to the available measurement arc.