Constellation Libra
Date:
Southern Hemisphere
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Libra
Libra
The constellation of Libra is connected to the ecliptic, which means that the sun, the moon and the planets pass through it and so it belongs to the Signs of the Zodiac.
How to spot the constellation Libra
Despite its size of 538 square degrees, the Libra is not particularly easy to recognize, since it consists only of a few bright stars. Only two of them are brighter than the third magnitude. In the southern hemisphere the constellation lies between Scorpius and Virgo. It can be seen in the latitudes between 65° and -90° throughout the year in the starry sky, but best during the month of June.
History
It is said that even the Sumerians named the constellation after the scales, because in their day the sun was in the constellation during the equinoxes. In the Babylonians and the ancient Greeks, the sign was seen as the scissors of Scorpio, as well as in the Arab astronomers. Only about 100 AD, the present name of Libra was introduced by the Romans and included in the zodiac. Since it is the only sign of the zodiac that reflects an object and thus no living thing, it was considered a symbol of justice and of the balance between all the others.