Libra
Encyclopedia : L : LI : LIB : Libra
| Libra | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Abbreviation | Lib | ||
| Genitive | Librae | ||
| Symbology | the Balance | ||
| Right ascension | 15 h | ||
| Declination | −15° | ||
| Area | List of constellations by area>Ranked 29th | ||
| Number of stars (magnitude < 3) | 2 | ||
| Brightest star | Zubeneschamali (β Lib) (Apparent magnitude>App. magnitude 2.6) | ||
| Meteor showers |
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| Bordering constellations | |||
| Visible at latitudes between +65° and −90° Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of June | |||
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Libra (Latin for balance, symbol
, Unicode ♎) is a constellation of the zodiac. It is a fairly inconspicuous constellation and has no star of first magnitude, lying between Virgo to the west and Scorpius to the east. As the names of the brighter stars testify, it was at one point part of Scorpius' claws.
Contents
Notable featuresThe brightest stars in Libra form a rectangle:
σ Librae was formerly known as γ Scorpii despite being well inside the boundaries of Libra. It was not redesignated as σ Librae until 1851 (by Benjamin A. Gould). MythologyThe constellation, which had originally formed part of the claws of the scorpion (Scorpio), is the youngest of the Zodiac and the only one not to represent a living creature. In later Greek mythology, the constellation, which when considered on its own looks vaguely like a set of scales, was considered to depict the scales held by Astraea (identified as Virgo), the goddess of justice. Since Libra was originally part of Virgo (as scales), and before that part of Scorpio, it was not a distinct entity for which a zodiac sign was named. Its place may have been taken by Boötes, which is the nearest to the ecliptic. Since the place Boötes should have held on the ecliptic is vacant, it may have, together with Ursa Major, Draco, and Ursa Minor, also in Libra, led to the myth of the apples of the Hesperides, one of The Twelve Labours of Herakles. Astrology
In some cosmologies, Libra is associated with the classical element Air, and thus called an Air Sign (with Aquarius and Gemini). It is also one of the four cardinal signs (along with Aries, Cancer, and Capricorn). Libra are the diplomats of the Zodiac. Its polar opposite is Aries. It is the domicile of Venus and the exaltation of Saturn. Each astrological sign is assigned a part of the body, viewed as the seat of its power. Libra rules the lower back and kidneys. The symbol for Libra is the Scales, making it the only sign of this zodiac whose symbol is not a living creature. Graphic visualizationThe stars in the constellation Libra can be connected more fully, graphically showing a balance. The star beta Librae, of third magnitude, represents the top of the balance. The stars gamma Librae and alpha Librae represent the balance beam: alpha Librae being of third magnitude as well. The stars upsilon Librae and tau Librae represent the left plate of the balance, whereas the star sigma Librae represents the right plate of the balance. All three of these stars are of the third magnitude. Reference
Stars
History"Scorpion's claws" is zubānā in Arabic and zibanitu in Akkadian. In ancient Mesopotamia a weighing scale was often the arm and the pans without a stand, and to use it it was hung up by a string tied to the midpoint of the arm. A resulting fancied resemblance to a scorpion hung up by the end of its tail resulted in the Akkadian word zibanitu also being used to mean "weighing scale". The constellation was refigured by taking the other meaning of zibanitu.
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