Libra

English name Scales

Major
stars alpha Librae Zubenelgenubi magn. 2,9 RA: 14h 50m 52.73s Dec: -16° 02' 30.2"
beta Librae Zubeneschamali magn. 2,7 RA: 15h 17m 00.44s Dec: -09° 22' 58.5"
sigma Librae magn. 3,4 RA: 15h 04m 04.23s Dec: -25° 16' 55.0"

Description Constellation of the zodiac, through which the Sun transits during the month of November. It is between Virgo and Scorpius.
Libra contains many double stars. The brightest are alpha Librae, easily separable with simple binoculars, iota Librae, a multiple system constituted by at least four components, and my Librae, observable with modest telescopes.
Remarkable is NGC 5897, a very little compact globular cluster of tenth magnitude.

Mythology
and history The Greeks identified the stars of Libra with the near Scorpius' nippers: the Arabs too followed this representation and they called the two brightest stars Zubenelgenubi (that is "southern nipper") and Zubeneschamali ("northern nipper"). The constellation of Libra was actually drawn in the first century before Christ by the Romans, who considered it as symbol of their city: symbol of balance and justice, of order and peace.

English name	Scales

Major stars	alpha Librae	Zubenelgenubi	magn. 2,9	RA: 14h 50m 52.73s	Dec: -16° 02' 30.2"
	beta Librae	Zubeneschamali	magn. 2,7	RA: 15h 17m 00.44s	Dec: -09° 22' 58.5"
	sigma Librae		magn. 3,4	RA: 15h 04m 04.23s	Dec: -25° 16' 55.0"

Description	Constellation of the zodiac, through which the Sun transits during the month of November. It is between Virgo and Scorpius. Libra contains many double stars. The brightest are alpha Librae, easily separable with simple binoculars, iota Librae, a multiple system constituted by at least four components, and my Librae, observable with modest telescopes. Remarkable is NGC 5897, a very little compact globular cluster of tenth magnitude.

Mythology and history	The Greeks identified the stars of Libra with the near Scorpius' nippers: the Arabs too followed this representation and they called the two brightest stars Zubenelgenubi (that is "southern nipper") and Zubeneschamali ("northern nipper"). The constellation of Libra was actually drawn in the first century before Christ by the Romans, who considered it as symbol of their city: symbol of balance and justice, of order and peace.

Libra

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