Starry Nights & Summer Skies: Meet Cygnus, Aquila, and Lyra

Is there anything better than a warm summer night under the stars? In the Northern Hemisphere, summer isn’t just for beach trips and backyard BBQs—it’s prime time for stargazing! If you find yourself under a clear night sky, away from city lights, look up—you’ll find three dazzling constellations putting on a celestial show: Cygnus, Aquila, and Lyra.

Cygnus: The Swan Soaring Across the Milky Way

Cygnus, also known as The Swan, is amongst our favorites. Imagine a swan flying down the river of the Milky Way—wings outstretched, gliding effortlessly. That’s Cygnus for you. It’s also home to a super-bright star called Deneb, which marks the swan’s tail and happens to be one of the corners of the Summer Triangle.

Deneb is a blue-white supergiant, and even though it’s thousands of light-years away, it’s still bright enough to spot with the naked eye.

Aquila, the Majestic Eagle

Just a flap of celestial wings away from Cygnus is Aquila, the eagle.
If Cygnus is soaring gracefully, Aquila looks like it’s diving powerfully through the night sky. The constellation’s brightest star, Altair, is one of the closest visible stars to Earth—just 17 light-years away—and it spins so fast it’s almost egg-shaped!

Like Deneb, Altair also forms part of that Summer Triangle.

Lyra—the Harp in the Heavens
Rounding out this trio is Lyra, the small but mighty harp. Don’t let its size fool you—Lyra packs a punch when it comes to brilliance. It’s home to a bluish-white star that is the fifth-brightest star in the entire sky, and the third-brightest in the Northern Hemisphere. Not too shabby for a little constellation!

This star is not just bright—it’s also a bit of a celebrity. It was the first star other than the Sun to be photographed, and it’s often used as a baseline for measuring other stars’ brightness.

It is approximately 25 light-years away from Earth. That means the light you see from it tonight actually left the star about 25 years ago—around the year 2000! It’s relatively close in cosmic terms, which is part of why it shines so brightly in our sky.

So the next time you’re out on a warm summer evening, take a moment to tilt your head back and gaze at the sky. See if you can spot the swan (Cygnus), the eagle (Aquila), and the harp (Lyra) strumming softly through the night.

Q. What is the name of the brightest star in Lyra?
a) Altair
b) Deneb
c) Sirius
d) Vega

Take your best guess, and let me know what you think!
The first 10 correct answers sent to support@underluckystars.com will get a FREE Digital Star Map

Want more space trivia? Check out our blog https://www.underluckystars.com/blog

Wishing you clear skies and cosmic dreams