When was libra discovered

Libra covers approximately square degrees of sky and contains 6 stars in its asterism. In mythology, the Alpha and Beta stars of Libra once represented Chelae Scorpionis , the northern and southern claws of the Scorpion. Who knows exactly where and when it became depicted as a set of scales, but the Romans identified it with the scales held by Astraea, the goddess of justice. They believed the Moon was in Libra when Rome was founded and the astrological sign represented balance because this is where the Sun was housed during autumnal equinox.

Look for a beautiful yellow coloration to the spectral type A3 primary star and a slight blue tinge to the far fainter type F4 companion. Zubenelgenubi is close to the ecliptic so it can be easily occulted by the Moon!

Beta Librae is a blue dwarf star of spectral type B8, what would appear to be a rather ordinary main sequence star — but take a really close look in binoculars. Does it appear a little green to you? Zubeneschamali is running a high temperature — more than twice that of our own Sun — produces light with a simple spectrum. This makes it a perfect candidate for examining interstellar gas and dust which lay between us and it — but its rapid hydrogen fusion also causes it to appear a little more green than other stars.

A color rarely seen in stars! Zubenelgenubi actually consists of at least four stars, which are split into two close pairs. Three of the four are bigger and hotter than the Sun, while the fourth is smaller and cooler. All four appear to be about million years old. Libra is also home to a star system that contains six planets or more, including one that is in an orbit where conditions are suitable for liquid water, which is a key ingredient for life.

An artist's concept shows three of the planets known to orbit Gliese The star, Gliese , is a red dwarf, which means it is much smaller, fainter, and cooler than the Sun. Ultimately the two claws of Scorpius were fashioned into the arms of Libra. Many years ago, one of the long-time lecturers at New York's Hayden Planetarium reprimanded me after I had given a night sky show and pointed out Libra to my audience.

I initially did not believe him, especially since I knew that the word library had its origins from the Latin word "libraria" meaning book , while Libra was Latin for "balance" — hence two totally different things. And have you ever wondered why the abbreviation for the word pound is "lb"? It is in deference to the first and third letters of Libra, the Scales.

Editor's note: If you have an amazing night sky photo you'd like to share for a possible story or image gallery, please contact managing editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos space.

He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, the Farmer's Almanac and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for News 12 Westchester, N. Follow us Spacedotcom. Original article on Space.