Illustrated Guide to Astronomical Wonders

29Libra, The Scales

NAME: Libra (LEE-bruh)

SEASON: Spring

CULMINATION: midnight, 9 May

ABBREVIATION: Lib

GENITIVE: Librae (LEE-brye)

NEIGHBORS: Cen, Hya, Lup, Oph, Sco, Ser, Vir

BINOCULAR OBJECTS: none

URBAN OBJECTS: none

Libra is a mid-size, dim south equatorial constellation that ranks 29th in size among the 88 constellations. Libra covers 528 square degrees of the celestial sphere, or about 1.3%. The brightest stars in Libra are only third magnitude, but it is still relatively easy to discern the pattern of Libra, lying as it does in an area between Scorpius and Virgo that’s relatively devoid of bright stars.

In early constellation mythology, Libra formed part of the claws of Scorpius to its southeast. In later Greek mythology, Libra was ...