Recently, smoke from Canadian wildfires has put a big crimp in stargazing.

On the worst nights, the sky may be meteorologically clear, but fiery miasma blots out most of the stars and turns the moon the color of cantaloupe. One evening, I counted just 17 stars with effort from under country skies. Depressing.

What can you do? I play catch-as-catch-can, checking the latest forecast and poring over satellite photos, hoping to make the best of brief intervals when the smoke thins and the familiar night sky returns. When it does, I feel palpable relief, like escaping from under a hot, heavy blanket.

One star that burns steadfastly through even the worst of the smoke is Vega.

Vega (pronounced VEE-guh or VAY-guh) is the brightest star in the compact constellation of Lyra the harp. In June it

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