Libra
Libra, the only zodiac constellation that is not a living thing. Once the claws of the scorpion, it is the "Scales of Justice."
Science
The scienceLibra is the only constellation of the zodiac to represent an object (a set of scales) rather than a person or animal. In ancient Babylon and Greece these stars were originally seen as the claws of the neighboring Scorpius, a trace of which survives in the names of its two chief stars, Zubenelgenubi (the southern claw) and Zubeneschamali (the northern claw). Zubeneschamali in particular is a rare star often reported to show a greenish tint. About 2,000 years ago, in Roman times, the autumnal equinox lay in this constellation, so it came to be seen as the scales where day and night balance in equal length.
Mythology
How it became a constellationLibra is said to be the "Scales of Justice" held by Astraea (or Dike), goddess of justice. The neighboring Virgo is this very goddess, who weighed the good and evil of humankind on her scales and passed judgment. As the human world grew corrupt, the gods departed for the heavens one by one, but Astraea remained on the earth to the very last, upholding justice, until at last she too ascended to become Virgo, and her scales stayed at her side as Libra.
Observing Guide
how to observe🔭 How to find it
In the early-summer southern sky, look about midway along the line joining Spica (the bright white star of Virgo) and Antares (the red star of Scorpius), and you'll find Libra, its four stars forming a lopsided quadrilateral (the scales). It has few bright stars and doesn't leap out at you, but if you use the two bright stars Spica and Antares as signposts on either side, you can pick Libra out of the empty space between them without much trouble.
✨ What to look for
Libra has almost no bright deep-sky objects, so honestly it's a constellation short on spectacular targets. The best-known is the faint globular cluster NGC 5897 (about magnitude 8.5), which is loosely scattered and appears dim compared to brighter clusters. More fitting for this constellation is to take a close look at the lead star Zubeneschamali, which is often reported to shine with a greenish tint.
📍 Where to see it (US · Canada · UK · Australia)
With declinations of −9° to −25°, Libra sits well south of the equator. From the US and southern Canada it rises only modestly into the southern sky on early-summer evenings (May–July), and from the UK it stays low near the southern horizon, so a clear southern view helps. From Australia, by contrast, the Scales climb high overhead during the southern autumn and winter, far better placed than in the north.