The Sky Tonight— images from historic star atlases, keyed to the modern constellationsLibra is the only inanimate object in the zodiac. It was associated with the scales held by the goddess of justice.
Alpha Librae is a double-star resolvable by binoculars.
Libra is included in the ancient star catalog of Ptolemy, and known as the Claws of the Scorpion in the catlogs of Eudoxos of Knidos and Aratos of Soli.
| Image | Representation | Date |
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Bainbridge (1619) figure: Libra | 1619 |
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Bainbridge (1619): Frontispiece | 1619 |
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Bayer, Uranometria (1661): Libra | 1661 |
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Bayer, Uranometria (1661): Libra, detail | 1661 |
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Bode (1801), Plate 14: Libra | 1801 |
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Bode (1801), plate 2: Libra Planisphere Uranographia Tab II. Stellatum Hemisphaeri um Librae. Bode included two planisphere plates. They are not southern and northern hemispheres; each one has Polaris at the top and the south pole at the bottom. Each… |
1801 |
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Hyginus (1485) figure: Libra Libra includes the tips of the claws of Scorpion. |
1485 |
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Hyginus (1485) figure: Scorpius | 1485 |
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Urania's Mirror (1825) card: Libra more | 1825 |
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