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Beta Lyrae officially named Sheliak , the traditional name of the system, is a multiple star system in the constellation of Lyra. Based on parallax measurements obtained during the Hipparcos mission, it is approximately 960 light-years distant from the Sun.
Although it appears as a single point of light to the naked eye, it actually consists of six components of apparent magnitude 14.3 or brighter. The brightest component, designated Beta Lyrae A, is itself a triple star system, consisting of an eclipsing binary pair and a single star. The binary pair's two components are designated Beta Lyrae Aa1 and Aa2. The additional five components, designated Beta Lyrae B, C, D, E, and F, are currently considered to be single stars.
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