Libra (constellation) facts for kids
| Constellation | |
List of stars in Libra
|
|
| Abbreviation | Lib |
|---|---|
| Genitive | Librae |
| Right ascension | 15 |
| Declination | −15 |
| Area | 538 sq. deg. (29th) |
| Main stars | 4, 6 |
| Bayer/Flamsteed stars |
46 |
| Stars with planets | 3 |
| Stars brighter than 3.00m | 2 |
| Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 2 |
| Brightest star | Zubeneschamali (β Lib) (2.6m) |
| Messier objects | 0 |
| Meteor showers | May Librids |
| Bordering constellations |
Serpens Caput Virgo Hydra Centaurus (corner) Lupus Scorpius Ophiuchus |
| Visible at latitudes between +65° and −90°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of June. |
|
Libra (pronounced LEE-bruh) is a special group of stars, also known as a constellation. It is one of the twelve constellations that make up the zodiac. You can find Libra in the night sky between the constellation Virgo on its west side and Scorpius on its east side. Long ago, people thought these stars looked like the claws of the Scorpius constellation. But now, we see them as a scale!
Bright Stars of Libra
The brightest stars in Libra form a shape that looks like a rectangle. These stars help us find the constellation in the sky.
- α Librae, also called Zubenelgenubi, means "southern claw." It is actually two stars orbiting each other, which we call a visual binary.
- β Librae, known as Zubeneschamali, means "northern claw." This is the brightest star in Libra.
- γ Librae, named Zubenelakrab, means "scorpion's claw."
- σ Librae, also called Brachium, is a special type of star. It is an eclipsing variable star, meaning its brightness changes.
Imagine α and β Librae as the long bar of a balance scale. Then, γ and σ Librae can be thought of as the weighing pans hanging from the ends.
Interestingly, σ Librae was once known as γ Scorpii. This was even though it was clearly inside the boundaries of Libra. It was officially renamed σ Librae in 1851 by an astronomer named Benjamin Apthorp Gould.
Images for kids
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Libra as depicted in Urania's Mirror, a set of constellation cards published in London c.1825
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NGC 5897
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NGC 5885
See also
In Spanish: Libra (constelación) para niños
