Here is the star Vega, the fifth brightest star in the sky. If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, you’ll find this beautiful bluish star by looking northeastward at mid-evening. It’s so bright that you can notice it, even when no other stars are visible. Because it is the brightest in the constellation Lyra the Harp, Vega is sometimes called the Harp Star.

The constellation Lyra the Harp, with its brightest star Vega and other interesting stars or objects within its boundaries.

Read more about Vega and its constellation Lyra the Harp

Also on this Wednesday, May 15: Look for the planets Jupiter and Venus low in the west about 45 minutes after sunset.

As darkness falls on May 15, the waxing crescent moon shines in the vicinity of the Gemini stars Castor and Pollux. On the other side of the moon is the even brighter star Procyon.

Try it! Just look northeast tonight in mid-evening. You’ll see this bright bluish star shining above that horizon. From far south in the Southern Hemisphere, you can’t this star until late tonight because Vega is located so far north on the sky’s dome. Vega will reach its high point for the night around 3 a.m., at which time people in the Southern Hemisphere can see this star in the northern sky. As seen from mid-northern latitudes, the star shines high overhead at this early morning hour.

Vega’s rising time in your sky

Vega is a lovely star to come to know. When I was first learning the night sky, nearly 40 years ago, I spent hours, days, weeks, months poring over charts and books. So I sometimes came to know the names and whereabouts of certain stars before seeing them in the night sky. One soft May evening, I happened to glance toward the northeast. I was thrilled at the sight of Vega – gleaming, sapphire-blue – and surprisingly bright for being so low in the sky.

Like all stars, Vega rises earlier each day as Earth moves around the sun. So Vega will ornament our evening sky throughout the summer and fall. Although Vega is considered a late spring or summer star, it’s actually so far north on the sky’s dome that you can find it at some time during the night, nearly every night of the year.

Contrast the chart at the upper right showing the western evening sky on Wednesday, May 15 with the photo below of the western evening sky on Tuesday, May 14. Thank you for the photo, Carl!

Photo taken by Carl Galloway of the western sky at nightfall on May 14, 2013. Thank you Carl! Jupiter is at the lower right, Pollux and Castor to upper right of the moon, and Procyon to the moon’s left or lower left. A larger waxing crescent moon will appear a little higher in the sky at nightfall on May 15. However, you’ll still see the moon between the Gemini stars and Procyon. View larger.

Bottom line: It’s easy to identify the star Vega in the constellation Lyra at this time of year. Just look northeast in the evening for a bright, bluish star above the northeastern horizon.