For several reasons, I was compelled to choose the Lyra constellation. It was listed by Ptolemy, a Greek astronomer, around the 2nd century. In the diagram I have provided, I named three stars (Lyra has 5 main stars altogether) which happen to be the three brightest stars in the constellation, with Vega being the brightest at 0.03m. Vega is the second brightest star in the entirety of the northern hemisphere, and the fifth brightest overall. As a sidenote, much like the Big Dipper, Vega is part of the Summer Triangle which is an asterism. From spring through to autumn is typically when Lyra is visible, but it has been known to linger during summer months depending on latitude. Lyra also belongs to the Hercules family, which is a group consisting
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Aside from the fascinating stars which Lyra contains, I found myself drawn to the symbolism behind the name. Lyra is the Latin word for lyre, which is a small instrument similar to the harp. From a personal viewpoint, the name is romantic, and before even researching the constellation I was led to believe there was an intimate meaning behind the name. When one plays a harp, or a lyre, you hold it close to you, almost as if you are embracing the instrument. A more logical meaning behind the naming is simply how the constellation is shaped just like a lyre.
There are many differently told stories of how the Lyra constellation came to be. The underlying messages in each of these myths however confirms one of my initial thoughts of intimacy in some ways. The tale is of a single musician, Orpheus, whom obtained a lyre through …show more content…
"They have answered our cries for food", he rejoiced as the second star appeared, and he placed the second string around the horse's neck.
Curiously, the third string would not break, no matter how hard he pulled at it, his prayer would not be answered. The boy shrugged and moved to the forth string, pulling it with all his might. A gasp escaped his lips as it came; waves upon waves fell from the sky, as though trying to bury any evidence of the city that once was.
In desperation he clawed and clawed at the final string, the third string which would not come. The waves carried him higher and higher, and he thought he was alone. As he reached a layer before the clouds, a disembodied voice approached him, asking him to lay his lyre down, for the power it contained was way too strong for a boy of eleven. The young boy argued, pulling harder at the string, where he was warned once more to let the lyre down. Frustrated by the voice, the boy pulled harder still, until the voice grew louder and then all he could hear was the same note playing over and over inside his head. In shock, he dropped the lyre, which was taken by the bearer of the voice; and in the same instance, was used to garotte the young boy. His body was tossed into the sky along with his lyre, anger being swept back onto the city in the form of
Aside from the fascinating stars which Lyra contains, I found myself drawn to the symbolism behind the name. Lyra is the Latin word for lyre, which is a small instrument similar to the harp. From a personal viewpoint, the name is romantic, and before even researching the constellation I was led to believe there was an intimate meaning behind the name. When one plays a harp, or a lyre, you hold it close to you, almost as if you are embracing the instrument. A more logical meaning behind the naming is simply how the constellation is shaped just like a lyre.
There are many differently told stories of how the Lyra constellation came to be. The underlying messages in each of these myths however confirms one of my initial thoughts of intimacy in some ways. The tale is of a single musician, Orpheus, whom obtained a lyre through …show more content…
"They have answered our cries for food", he rejoiced as the second star appeared, and he placed the second string around the horse's neck.
Curiously, the third string would not break, no matter how hard he pulled at it, his prayer would not be answered. The boy shrugged and moved to the forth string, pulling it with all his might. A gasp escaped his lips as it came; waves upon waves fell from the sky, as though trying to bury any evidence of the city that once was.
In desperation he clawed and clawed at the final string, the third string which would not come. The waves carried him higher and higher, and he thought he was alone. As he reached a layer before the clouds, a disembodied voice approached him, asking him to lay his lyre down, for the power it contained was way too strong for a boy of eleven. The young boy argued, pulling harder at the string, where he was warned once more to let the lyre down. Frustrated by the voice, the boy pulled harder still, until the voice grew louder and then all he could hear was the same note playing over and over inside his head. In shock, he dropped the lyre, which was taken by the bearer of the voice; and in the same instance, was used to garotte the young boy. His body was tossed into the sky along with his lyre, anger being swept back onto the city in the form of