The message about the constellation Libra will tell you how the constellation Libra appeared. The legend about the constellations Libra will be interesting for every reader.
A story about the constellation Libra
The constellation Libra is the only one that is named after an object, and not a living creature, like other constellations in the zodiac circle.
The history of the emergence of the constellation Libra. How did the constellation Libra appear?
A long time ago, back in the 1st century BC, there lived a wise and fair ruler, his name was Augustus. He ruled the strongest state in history - the Roman Empire. The subjects loved their emperor very much and were grateful for his care and love for the Roman people. The great poet of that time, whose name was Virgil, proposed to highlight part of one of the constellations in honor of Emperor Augustus, thereby creating his own. Astronomers took his idea into account and “plucked off” part of the constellation Scorpio. Previously, Scorpio looked like he was holding weights in a vice. Sometimes, instead of Libra, a lamp was depicted on Scorpio’s skis. After part of the constellation Scorpio dried up and became a new constellation (Libra), it is said that Scorpio's claws became empty, as if he had unclenched them and released his prey.
The legend of the constellation Libra in Ancient Greece
There is another legend about the appearance of the constellation Libra in the sky. It appeared in Ancient Greece. The Greeks believed that order and law on earth were established by Zeus, the chief among the gods of the Greek pantheon. Only Zeus needed help, so he gave Themis magic scales with which she could weigh the good and bad deeds of people. The result determined the future fate of each individual person. -Because of her kindness, Themis did not punish people for bad deeds, she only rewarded those who do good. For such generosity, Zeus decided to perpetuate the memory of the goddess Themis and placed an image of her scales in the sky.
The legend of the constellations Libra in Ancient Egypt
The main occupation of the ancient Egyptians was agriculture. All harvesting work began in the fall. At this time, the hardworking Egyptians were busy harvesting and grinding grain. When the work of harvesting was completed, all the grain had to be weighed. He was always weighed exactly at the time when the day lasts exactly as many hours as the night lasts. On this day, the light and dark times of the day seem to weigh the same. We know it as the “autumn equinox,” which occurs on September 23. Exactly on this day the Sun falls into the constellation Libra.
How to find the constellation Libra in the sky?
The constellation Libra is located between the constellations Virgo and Scorpio. Finding Libra in the starry sky is not so easy. The thing is that there are few bright stars in the constellation that would make it easy to find it. But you can try to find it. To do this, astronomers advise starting observations of the constellation in April-May. The best assistant in finding the constellation Libra is Scorpio. Find the constellation Scorpio and continue with its claws.
What does the constellation Libra look like?
The constellation Libra bears little resemblance to the household item called a scale. This is a triangle, from the top of which, as it were, strings descend. One of these threads (right) has a green star at the end. This is the only star with a greenish tint that can be seen in the sky without using a telescope.
The throne gives way to the next one in the zodiac circle - the constellation Libra.
Constellation Libra (“Libra”) located in the southern part of the sky. From Latin “Libra” is translated as “scales”.
In Ancient Greece, this celestial area was called “Chelae” - “claws” and it was believed that it was part of Scorpio, or rather its claws. Scorpio is the next constellation in the zodiac circle after Libra.
The association with scales already appeared among the Romans in the 1st century BC. It is believed that this happened at the founding of Rome, when the Moon moved into Libra. That is why the constellation was revered and considered the moment when the seasons were balanced, and day was equal in time to night. The fact is that the Sun was at the autumn equinox in Libra until 729, after which it moved to Virgo. In 2439 it will pass to Leo.
But the display of balance was noticed before the Romans. A thousand years before Christ in Babylon this area was called ZIB.BA.AN.NA - “heavenly balance”.
But still the relationship with Scorpio remains. This is recalled by the first brightest star in the constellation - Beta Libra, which is translated from Arabic as “southern claw” - “Zuben Elgenubi” is translated from Arabic as “southern claw”, and “Kiffa Australis” from Latin is “southern bowl”.
The brightest stars create a quadrilateral: Alpha and Beta Libra are the balancing line, and Gamma and Sigma are Libra itself.
The Libra star Methuselah (HD 140283) is the oldest star in the Universe, created shortly after the Big Bang. Methuselah is 14.46 billion years old, and the Universe is 13.77 billion years old. (These figures do not conflict because the values are approximate and cannot be calculated accurately.) 
This is the Libra star Methuselah
The distance of Methuselah is 190.1 light years. The star contains little metal, but large amounts of hydrogen and helium. Iron content is less than 1%.
Let's admire some of the celestial objects of the Libra constellation:
NGC 5792 is a barred spiral galaxy. At a distance of 83 million light
NGC 5897 is a relatively large globular cluster with a total magnitude of 9 and a distance of 40,000 light years.
On October 9, 2008, an AMFE radio message was sent to the star Gliese 581, and an HFE radio message was sent on August 28, 2009.
The constellation Libra continues to share its secrets. So to speak, from the latest news:
In September 2010, another planet was spotted in Libra. If its presence is confirmed, then its parameters will be the most suitable for liquid water, and therefore life in the form as Earth scientists understand it.
In November 2012, the European Space Agency discovered a comet belt containing 10 times more comets than the Solar System.
The myth of the constellation Libra
According to some authors, at first the constellation represented an altar; then it was depicted as an altar, a lamp, but usually as scales grasped in the claws of Scorpio or with the claws of Scorpio lying on the scales; later the claws “let go of the prey” and shortened. To this day, the stars and Libra are called the Southern and Northern Claws.
Libra is the only constellation in the zodiac that represents an inanimate object. Researchers believe that this is due precisely to the late formation of the constellation.
Libra is a necessary condition that is required to begin the process of understanding the world around us, and it does not matter whether it is the room of a medieval alchemist-pharmacist, a factory laboratory or an ultra-modern hadron collider - all these are scales.
The annals of Libra go back to the cradle of the chronology of centuries. In the third millennium BC, in the Egyptian pyramids, archaeologists found drawings of equal-armed scales of a quite tolerable design.
Merchants and jewelers, seekers of the philosopher's stone and doctors could hardly work without systems that made it possible to determine the weight of any physical substance.
The famous parable about Archimedes and his exclamation “Eureka” tells that a learned man, while taking a bath, found a solution to what the crown of the Syracuse king was actually made of. Archimedes presented this solution as follows: on the first yoke of the scales a weight was attached, a small weight that could move along the yoke, and the crown of Hiero II was placed on the scales. Archimedes balanced with gold the product of a jeweler whose honesty the ruler of Syracuse doubted.
Thanks to the bath in which Archimedes found the solution to the problem, both bowls were immersed in water. With no little effort, the scientist calibrated the rocker arm for all metal alloys known at that time and established that in the crown of Hiero II there was more silver than gold. Archimedes assumed that different metals with the same weight should occupy different volumes, and the mass of water displaced by the metal is equal to the weight of the liquid. This means that the balance will be disrupted, and in order to return it to its original position, it was necessary to place a weight on the yoke of the scales.
As time passed, the designs of scales improved, thanks in large part to the Romans and Arabs. The progress of the technical thought of the Quirites and Persians allowed, by studying the conditions of equilibrium, instead of the geometric method of measuring weight, the ancient Greeks used an algebraic solution for equal-arm beam balances, which at the turn of the 4th-5th centuries made it possible to achieve the highest weighing accuracy for that time - only five milligrams of error. The Eastern alchemist Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariya Ar-Razi, who lived and worked in 973-1050 AD, in his works mentioned the values of weights and densities of metals that differ from modern data, with an error of less than one percent!
But what was weighed on the heavenly scales?
Ancient Egypt. Judgment of Osiris" weighing the heart of the deceased
Ancient mythologists considered the constellation an attribute of Themis ascended to heaven.
Themis, in ancient Greek mythology, the goddess of justice.
The Greeks called the goddess by different names, for example Themis, Themis. Themis was the daughter of the sky god Uranus and Gaia, the second wife of Zeus and the mother of numerous offspring. Her daughters were the goddesses of fate - the Moiras.
Themis is depicted with a blindfold over her eyes, as a symbol of impartiality, with a sword and scales in her hands (sometimes with a cornucopia).
Libra is an ancient symbol of measure and justice. On the scales of justice, good and evil, actions committed by mortals during their lifetime, are weighed. The posthumous fate of people depended on which cup would prevail.
The sword in the hands of Themis is a symbol of retribution. It is double-edged, since the law not only punishes, but also warns.
Sculpture of Themis in Switzerland.
Sculpture Official Themis (official and people), Copenhagen
Bas-relief of Themis on the monument to Duke in Odessa.
Justice around the world,
You can probably guess which ones:
(artist Gunduz Agayev)
The last option is Greece (not ancient but modern)...
and modestly about Themis in Russia: 
Libra, the zodiac sign
People whose birth date falls between September 23 and October 22 are under the astrological influence of the Libra constellation.
The sign of Libra should not be confused with the constellation Libra, in which the Sun is located from October 31 to November 22.
Trigon sign Air.
The patron planets of the sign of Libra are Venus and Saturn.
Libras do not like bright colors, preferring pastel colors.
Libra's colors are blue, pink and sea green.
There are a lot of stones that bring happiness to Libra, from sapphire, diamond and pearl to crystal and moonstone. Many Libra women willingly wear corals. Men can recommend jasper cufflinks.
Although the symbol of this zodiac sign is Libra, Libras cannot be called balanced people. Until they reach an even, calm state, Libra will fluctuate from side to side for a long time. Remember the classic scales - one bowl will tip, then the other, until balance is established.
The character of Libra is best suited to two seasons - autumn and spring, with their uncertainty, inconstancy, and expectation of change.
People whose birth dates fall within the period of this constellation combine, with varying degrees of success, the following traits in their character:
naivety and wisdom;
stubbornness and ability to find compromise;
the need for sympathy from others and emotional secrecy;
bouts of laziness, followed by a period of highest performance.
The positive qualities of Libra can turn into disadvantages. In an effort to avoid conflicts, the sign agrees with someone else's opinion. This flexibility can create problems for them. In addition, others sometimes consider people from the constellation Libra to be fickle people due to their frequent change of point of view.
The constellation Libra has been known to mankind since ancient times. Therefore, it is very surprising that it is the only constellation of the Zodiac that has not received the name of some living creature.
As you understand, this “metrological instrument” is located between the zodiacs called Scorpio and Virgo. Not taking into account the fact that among the 83 stars of this constellation there is not a single star of the first or even second magnitude, it can be quite easily found in the sky. It is undoubtedly one of the most prominent objects in the night sky.
The brightest stars in Libra have a magnitude of 4. To find a constellation in the sky, you need to look closely and spot the rhomboid in the sky that is formed by its four brightest stars. Besides the two Zodiacs, Libra's closest neighbors are Ophiuchus, Snake and Wolf. You can easily see the constellation between April and May. As for the Sun, it is in Libra from the end of October (October 31) to the twentieth of November (November 22). In the south and center of Russia, this constellation can be seen in full.
The history of the most “balanced” constellation
It is worth saying that many thousands of years ago, the stars of this object belonged to a completely different constellation, namely Scorpio. But Libra also formed as an independent constellation quite a long time ago - in the second century BC. However, mentions of him can be found a century earlier in the poems of Arat of Soli. But it must be said that already in the first century AD, the well-known Virgil put forward a proposal that in place of Libra, another constellation could be organized, while slightly shortening the constellation Scorpio. The new constellation was supposed to be dedicated to Emperor Augustus.
When Libra formed into an independent constellation, the name “Claws” was very often used for it. Thus, they tried to connect him with Scorpio. At this time, the stars of this group were sometimes represented as a kind of asterism, at other times - as a constellation. For example, in the work of Ptolemy, it is indicated precisely as a constellation, although for now as the constellation “Claws”. It is amazing that during the same period of time “Claws”, like the Zodiac, had the name Libra. And yet, in the first century BC, today's name became generally accepted. As already mentioned, this zodiac constellation is the only inanimate object in the sky, probably precisely because its formation was so late.
Multiple system of the constellation under study
Since we're talking about the claws of the constellation, it's time to move on to the most prominent stars of Libra. Let's start the review with the first star of Libra, its alpha, which also bears the Arabic name Zuben Elgenubi. The translation, as you probably already understood, means “southern claw.” The Latin version of the name of the star also contains the word southern, but already a bowl, and sounds like Kiffa Australis.
Alpha Libra ranks second in brightness in the constellation. Since this star is a multiple, even with small binoculars everyone can notice that the main star (a hot blue star with a magnitude of 2.75m) has acquired a satellite - a yellowish star with a magnitude of 5.15m. The two stars are located at a considerable distance from each other (as much as 5 minutes of arc), therefore, despite their similar proper movements, their physical connection still raises some doubts among astronomers.
Expressing the distance between the two components of the system in astronomical units, it will be as much as 5.5 thousand. Thus, the period of revolution of stars relative to each other is two hundred thousand years. Interestingly, the brighter component of the system is itself also a double star, but the distance between them is so small that it cannot be seen by the eye. It is worth adding that Alpha Libra is very close to the celestial ecliptic, so it is possible to observe occultations of the star by planets or the Moon. In 2052, we will be able to see the planetary occultation of the star Zuben Elgenubi by the planet Mercury.
The second “foot” of Scorpio in the constellation in question
The historical northern claw of Scorpio in this constellation is Beta Libra. This name is translated into Arabic as Zuben el Shemali. But the star also has the Latin name Kiffa Borealis, which means “northern bowl” and is closer in meaning to the name of the constellation.
Beta Libra is a blue-white hot star. It is located on the main sequence of stellar evolution, its spectral class is B8. The surface temperature of Beta Libra is approximately 12 thousand Kelvin. When observed with the naked eye, this star is the only one in the sky that may appear to us as a green star.
Due to the fact that its temperature is so high and its spectrum is unusually simple, this celestial body is simply an ideal tool for exploring, located between the Sun and beta Libra.
Astronomers have noted some variability in this star. Therefore, there is a possibility that beta Libra has some currently invisible satellite, which eclipses the main star from time to time. Ancient "stargazers" such as Ptolemy wrote in their writings that Beta Libra was much brighter than its neighbor. How true this information is, and why the star then lost its former brightness, remains a mystery today.
It turns out that there are three claws in the constellation Libra
Amazingly, thanks to our ancestors, Libra has another claw, and again it belongs to Scorpio. Gamma Libra or otherwise Zuben el Akrab is translated from Arabic as “scorpion claw.” This star represents the second multiple system in the constellation Libra.
Gamma Libra appears to be a typical orange giant, which is classified as spectral class K0III. This star has an effective surface temperature of 4822 Kelvin. The diameter of the star is 14 solar. Its apparent magnitude is 3.93m and it shines 71 times more powerful than the Sun.
The metallicity of the Libra gamma is about half that of the Sun. At the same time, the mass of the star is equal to 2.5 solar masses. According to various estimates, the age of the star is about four billion years. A possible close companion was discovered in this system, less than 0.1 arcsecond from the main star. This companion has a magnitude of 4.2m and is classified as G8III in its spectrum. It is likely that it itself is also a double star.
Delta Libra - the eclipsing star of the constellation
An interesting object in the constellation Libra is its Delta. Another name for this luminary is Zuben Elakribi. This name suggests that, like many other components of Libra, it previously belonged to the neighboring constellation Scorpio. Delta Libra is also a multiple system. In addition, she is a bright representative of eclipsing variable stars, which belong to the Algol type.
Leafing through the catalog of variable stars, you can see that the primary component of this system is a white hot star, classified according to its spectrum as class A0. Its secondary component is an orange subgiant. Between the centers of the two stars of this system there is a distance of almost 9 million kilometers, while the orbital period is about 2.5 days.
In 2001, information was presented that it was likely that a third component had appeared in the binary system - some kind of long-period companion. It was assumed that it is a representative of the G9 spectral class and has a mass comparable to the Sun. The orbital period of the third component was approximately 2.76 years. This information was fully confirmed 5 years later - in 2006. Indeed, such a component is located from two stars at a distance of 4 astronomical units.
Pulsating Star of Libra
There is another interesting component in the constellation - sigma Libra. Historically, it bore various names, for example, Cornu, Bahrium or the already familiar Zuben Hakrabi. Indeed, for a very long time it was a legitimate component of the constellation Scorpio. However, the star was so far from its native constellation at that time and so close to the bright luminaries of Libra that in the 19th century, astronomer Gould rewrote it as part of Libra, designating it Sigma.
Sigma Libra is a variable pulsating star that has a third magnitude (about 3.29m). Since it is assigned to the spectral type M3, it is most likely a red giant. This star is located 290 light years from us. Its luminosity is on average 1900 times higher and its radius 110 times greater than the Sun. The surface temperature of this reddish star is about 3600 K.
It is also interesting that Sigma Libra is a pulsating star. Thus, its brightness changes every 20 days by an average of 0.26m. This star has entered the final stage of its stellar evolution. All the characteristics of this object have been very well studied: it is confirmed that Sigma does not have any unknown companions, no anomalies in its chemical composition, or dust disks near it. Soon the star will increase in size, then shed its outer shell, and, exposing its core of carbon and oxygen, will turn into a white dwarf.
Curious objects in the constellation Libra
Star Gliese 570
Unfortunately, those interested in astronomy will not find any very bright galaxies within this constellation. However, there are several very noteworthy objects in the constellation. Such, for example, is the star Gliese 570, which is the quadruple system closest to the Sun. It contains four dwarf stars: one each orange and brown and two red. Gliese 570 is 19 light-years from the Sun.
The internal structure of this system is quite complex. Thus, its two components, called B and C, have a common center of mass around which they revolve. The distance between the stars is quite small - approximately 0.79 astronomical units, therefore, the revolution takes 309 days. The main component, the star Gliese 570A, moves away from this pair by as much as 190 astronomical units. Thus, the revolution of the pair B and C, relative to star A, is approximately 2130 years. All components of this quadruple system, together with the most unremarkable (dim and small) component D, are classified as old stars of the galactic disk.
Libra is the name of the zodiacal constellation in the southern hemisphere of the night sky. The Latin name is “libra”. The ancient Sumerians called the constellation Zib-Ba An-Na, which means “balance of Heaven.” The constellation Libra is located between the constellations Scorpio and Virgo. By the way, in Babylonian astronomy its symbol was represented in the form of scorpion claws. However, there was an error in the translation of the Arabic word "zubana" and the Akkadian word "zibanitu", both of which can mean either "libra" or "scorpio". It has the shape of a scorpion hanging upside down, and was understood under the name "Scorpio's claw" until the 1st century BC, having never been previously identified as the constellation Libra.
In addition, it has been suggested that this Zodiac symbol seems to hint that when the Sun sets in this part of the ecliptic, the autumnal equinox occurs. In ancient Egyptian mythology, the constellation Libra, also known as the “Balance of Truth” and the “Last Judgment,” goes back to Egyptian rituals of the afterlife, in which they are used to weigh the souls of the dead. In addition, they are associated with the goddess Maat, as the main ancient Egyptian deity who was associated with this constellation. She was the daughter of Ra and patronized truth, justice and universal harmony.
In Greek mythology, Libra is a constellation representing Pluto's Golden Chariot drawn by four black horses. One day, visiting the afterlife on his chariot, Pluto saw Persephone, the daughter of the god Zeus and Demeter, the goddess of fertility. The story of Pluto's abduction of Persephone is a recognizable Greek myth that represents vegetation awakening in the spring, sprouting shoots, and sinking into the ground after the harvest.
Ancient Roman legends attribute the appearance of the constellation Libra to Emperor Augustus, who was famous for his justice. In gratitude to the great figure, his subjects immortalized his name, naming this symbol of the Zodiac in memory of the justice of Augustus.
Today the symbol is depicted as scales held in the hands of Themis, the Greek goddess of justice, thereby being associated with the neighboring constellation Virgo.
This is the only zodiac symbol that does not represent wildlife. The constellation Libra covers an area of 538 square degrees and contains three stars with known planets. It is visible at latitudes between +65° and -90°, and is best viewed at 9 pm during June. In sidereal astrology, the Sun passes through Libra between October 16 and November 15, and in tropical astrology, it is considered to be in this sign between September 23 and October 23.
The constellation Libra, the photo of which you see above, does not have any bright galaxies, but there is one that may be of interest to observers. With a large telescope, the magnitude 11.7 spiral galaxy NGC 5885, located near Beta Libra, can be seen. It is also home to Gliese 581C, the first exoplanet to be found orbiting its parent star, the red Lilliputian Gliese 581, within the star's habitable zone. This terrestrial planet was found in 2007. Another planet orbiting the same star, Gliese 581e, is the lowest-mass exoplanet found orbiting a normal star.