Which constellation is named after the lyre of Orpheus? Lyra is the constellation associated with the legendary musician’s lyre.
In Greek mythology, Orpheus played music so beautiful that animals, people, and even stones were said to be enchanted by it. After his wife Eurydice died, Orpheus entered the Underworld and persuaded Hades to let her return, but he lost her again when he looked back before they had reached the surface.
Different ancient accounts describe Orpheus’s death, but several agree that his lyre was eventually placed among the stars. Lyra is therefore a mythological object represented as a constellation, rather than a picture of Orpheus himself. It was included among the 48 constellations catalogued by the second-century astronomer Ptolemy and remains one of the International Astronomical Union’s 88 modern constellations.
A common mix-up is Vega: Vega is Lyra’s brightest star, not the constellation’s name. Lyra is also linked to the annual Lyrid meteor shower, whose meteors appear to radiate from a point near the constellation.