Lyrae

Lyrae is the Latin genitive form of Lyra, the small northern-hemisphere constellation that represents a lyre. In astronomical naming, Lyrae appears in the names of stars within Lyra to indicate their association with the constellation, such as Alpha Lyrae (Vega), Beta Lyrae, Gamma Lyrae, and RR Lyrae, as well as designations such as 52 Lyrae. The term is used in contrast to the nominative form Lyra.

Lyra is one of the 88 modern constellations and was named after the lyre of Orpheus. It is best known for Vega, a bright blue-white star about 25 light-years away, classified as an A0V star. The constellation also contains notable objects such as Epsilon Lyrae, a well-known multiple-star system; and M57, the Ring Nebula, a planetary nebula.

RR Lyrae is a star in Lyra that gives its name to a class of pulsating variable stars. These stars vary in brightness with short periods, typically around 0.2 to 1 day, and are common in old stellar populations. RR Lyrae stars serve as standard candles for measuring distances within the Milky Way and to nearby galaxies, due to their relatively uniform intrinsic brightness.

Beta Lyrae is an eclipsing binary in Lyra, notable for its brightness variations caused by two stars orbiting closely and transferring material.