Libra

Constellations

Libra

The Scales

Libra is faint constellation in the southern celestial hemisphere. Its name is Latin for scales.
Libra is one of the 48 original Ptolemaic Constellations and one of the twelve constellations of the Zodiac.
For a long time, the asterism was considered as the claws of Scorpius, as the names of its two brightest stars suggest.
Zubenelgenubi and Zubeneschamali are derived from the Arabic words for the Southern and the Northern Scorpion Claw, respectively.
Libra in the Night Sky

This section describes the constellation as it is seen in the night sky.

For myth and star lore about Libra, click here.

Star maps based on map provided by Sea & Sky

The stars of Libra

Number Desig-
nation Name
Number Desig-
nation Name
1 β Zuben Elschemali
5 τ Tau Librae
2 α Zuben Elgenubi
6 γ Zuben Elhakrabi
3 σ Brachium
7 θ Theta Librae
4 υ Upsilon Librae
8 δ Zuben Elakribi

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