Lyra. Optical image of the constellation of Lyra, the lyre, containing the bright star Vega (upper right). The other stars in the constellation are below Vega. Vega is also known as Alpha Lyrae, or the Harp Star, and is the fifth brightest star in the sky. It lies around 27 light years away, a near neighbour by stellar standards. Vega is about three times as large as our Sun. It is also about twice as hot and produces 58 times more light. The starburst around the stars is an effect of the lens used to take the photograph. North is towards top left corner.