Lyra the constellation.?

Question

I am doing a report on Lyra and we need to find a certain amount of things before I can hand it in. I was hoping that if I gave what I am looking for that someone could stear me in the right direction with websites and things.

1. What is the official name of the constellation from the IAU?
2. Are there any alternative names for this constellation? Like from other cultures.
3. What are the coordinates of the stars in this constellation? Also when can different states see it, like what months for the states.
4. What is the stellar evolution of the alpha and beta stars in this constellation?
5. What is the COMPLETE myth behind the constellation of Lyra?

Thanks to all for your help! I really appreciate it!!! : )

Answer 1

2. Very long ago, the first civilizations of the Middle East and India saw Lyre (the stars that make up the constellation Lyre) as a vulture. VEga, the brightest star, was called the Vulture Star. Even though the Greeks saw a harp here, depictions of Lyra even centuries later often showed the harp help in the claws of a vulture.
In Asia, Vega is known as the Weaving-Princess Star. The details of the legend vary from country to country, but in all of the stories the weaving princess falls in love and marries a shepherd, represented by the star Altair. They both neglect their duties, so her father separates them, placing them on opposite sides of the river of heaven, the Milky Way. They are allowed to meet only one night a year, at midsummer.

5. The harp (or more properly, a kithara) was said to have been invented by the god Hermes (Roman, mercury), who one day found an empty tortoise shell on the beach, strung seven strings through the holes, and found they made sweet music when plucked. Some time later Hermes traded this instrument with Apollo for the caduceus, the magical staff entwined with snakes, which gave Hermes the power to fly and to heal. Apollo later gave the kithara to his son, Orpheus, who played it so skillfully that stones on teh mountains stopped to listen and wild beasts were charmed. Much later, when his beloved wife Eurydice died, Orpheus used his lyre to persuade the powers of Hades to release her. The gods consented but they forbade him to look at her before they reached the upper world. Orpheus, overcome with joy, forgot this order and glanced at Eurydice just before they stepped into the Sun - and within seconds she was gone. Orpheus never recovered from his grief and was later murdered by a band of maidens to whom he refused to pay attention. After his death he and Eurydice were reunited, and Orpheus's harp was placed in the sky by Zeus.

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Whoops! Sorry, forgot to list my source! It's below now:

Answer 2

As usual, wikipedia is a good place to find information. See the source.

As to when can different states see it, all states north of about 40 degrees south latitude can see it rising fairly early in the evening around June. The Sun is in that part of the Sky in December, so it can't be seen in December and not easily seen a couple months before and after December, but at all other times it can be seen at least for part of the night. This is true for all constellations, but the Sun interferes on different dates for different constellations. It does not matter at all where you are, as long as it is somewhere north of 40 degrees south latitude. At 40 degrees south it is seen just on the northern hemisphere and south of that it can never be seen.