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Mu Lyrae — Star in Lyra

Magnitude 5.1m Star Lyra (Lyr) Visible
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1Physical Properties

Magnitude 5.12
Spectral Type A3IVn supergiant
Star Color White (B-V 0.03)
Distance 815 ly

2Position & Identifiers

RA 18h 24m 13.8s
Dec +39° 30' 26.0"
Constellation Lyra (Lyr)
HR 6903
HIP 90191
HD 169702
SAO 66943
Bayer Mu
Flamsteed 2 Lyr
SIMBAD

3How easy to spot?

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Equipment Bortle 3 Bortle 4 Bortle 5
Naked eye Medium Hard+ Hard
50mm finder Easy Easy Easy
150mm scope Easy Easy Easy
Easy Medium Hard Very hard Impossible

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

4Visibility

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Best season May – Jul (peak: Jun)

5Survey Image

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6

Size Comparison

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7

Compare Stars

8

Spectral Classification

9

Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram

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Read: The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram — Reading Stars Like a Map
10

Stellar Lifecycle

11

Blackbody Spectrum

12

Stellar Absorption Spectrum

Simulated absorption spectrum based on spectral type. Hover over lines to identify elements.

13

Stellar Fusion

Discover

14Stellar Notes

Alathfar; Al Athfar.
15

Light Travel Time Machine

16

Relativistic Travel

Nearby in the Sky

Other targets within a few degrees — pan your scope a little and keep exploring.

Visibility scores assume a 150 mm Newton at Bortle 4.

Vega
HIP 91262; Alpha Lyrae; 3 Lyrae
Easy
Bright naked-eye star, mag 0.0
Star mag 0.03 2.6° Lyra
XY Lyr
Medium
Semi-regular variable, range 5.8–6.3
Variable Star mag 6.04 2.7° Lyra
Epsilon¹ Lyr
Medium+
Tight double — a rewarding split at 2.2″
Double Star mag 5.06 3.9° Lyra
NGC 6703
Medium+
Elliptical galaxy
Galaxy mag 11.4 7.4° Lyra
M57
NGC 6720
Easy
Planetary nebula — try an OIII filter
Planetary Nebula mag 9.0 8.8° Lyra
Show on Map

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