Where Is Libra Located in the Sky?
Where is Libra located in the sky? In the sky, Libra is located between Virgo and Scorpio. Virgo lays to the west and Scorpio lays to the east. Read on to find out about Libra, where Libra is located in the sky, how it got its name, and other interesting facts.
If you look at the night sky, Libra is located between Virgo and Scorpio. If you want the scientific address of where Libra is located in the sky, it is 15 hours 30 minutes right ascension and 15 degrees south declination. Right ascension is comparable to longitude on earth and south declination is the distance south from the celestial equator. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, it is best to view Libra in the spring.
Libra is a very faint constellation. Currently it represents a set of scales, but in olden days, it was the claws of the scorpion. There was some confusion because the Arabic word “zubana” means both scorpion and scale. Libra was originally called Chelae Scorpionus, which means “scorpion’s claws.” Scorpio has many bright stars, so if you are trying to locate Libra in the night sky, you may be able to find Scorpio easier and go west from there.
The Twelve Constellations
So, how do we know what Libra is and where Libra is located in the sky? We know this because many ancient civilizations looked up at the night sky and made pictures by connecting the points of light. When certain ones were named, it helped people describe the night sky and organize it. Especially among the scientific community, it was useful to be able to name a section of the sky.
One reason to have constellations is as a kind of calendar, because certain constellations show up at the time of year when farmers needed to plant or harvest. The Babylonians divided the ecliptic, the sun’s path in the sky, into twelve equal sections and named twelve constellations. They used them to help them measure celestial time, and because most were named after animals, they called them "zodiakos kyklos" which means "animal circle". Here are the twelve constellations that make up the zodiac and the dates when the Sun is in that particular constellation:
- Aries = Ram = March 21 - April 20
- Taurus = Bull = April 21 - May 21
- Gemini = Twins = May 22 - June 21
- Cancer = Crab = June 22 - July 22
- Leo = Lion = July 23 -August 21
- Virgo = Virgin = August 22 - September 23
- Libra = Scales = September 24 - October 23
- Scorpio = Scorpion = October 24 - November 22
- Sagittarius = Centaur the Archer = November 23 - December 22
- Capricorn = Sea Goat = December 23 - January 20
- Aquarius = Water Bearer = January 21 - February 19
- Pisces = Fish = February 20 - March 20
Libra is located in the sky where the autumnal equinox resides. Since the Sun rises directly in the east and set directly in the west, there was equilibrium between the upper world and the under world. So the scale may have been chosen for that reason. The Egyptians saw that day as a force that made the Nile River flood to the best level. Either way, Libra is the only inanimate object that a constellation is named after.
Astrology
Astrology has been practiced since ancient times, because early man felt that our actions could be influenced by celestial bodies, much like the moon influences the tides. Everyone has a zodiac sign depending on when they were born. The twelve signs are further divided into groups according to the elemental signs of water, fire, air, and earth:
- Water signs are Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces
- Fire signs are Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius
- Air signs are Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius
- Earth signs are Virgo, Taurus, and Capricorn
If your sign is Libra, you are easygoing, diplomatic, sociable, and idealistic. You can be indecisive, gullible, flirtatious, and self-indulgent. You like the finer things in life, sharing, and humor. You dislike violence, injustice, and brutish people. Librans are very sensitive to other people and are often psychic.