Libra Constellation
Libra Astronomically Speaking
Libra, the smallest constellation in the sky, can be seen in relation to Scorpio in the east and Virgo in the west. Originally part of Virgo and Scorpio (the claws) when the two were united, Libra’s present shape is that of a trapezoid of four stars forming the scales. The two stars on each side of the scales have very difficult names. The southern scale is called Zubenelgenubi (referred to as genubi) and the northern scale is called Zubeneschamali (referred to as schamali). Genubi is yellow-gray and schamali is pale green. These stars in the constellation Libra can be seen only in the spring and early summer.
The glyph of Libra represents the scales on which two things are weighed. Being a dual sign, Libra illustrates polarized positions. In astronomical circles, Libra begins with the Autumn Equinox, when the light and dark are equalized. As the month continues, Libra represents a time when the dark, or night, will predominate. Libra is the seasonal cosmic clock on which night and day are measured and night wins out. Libra was originally called Zugos, or Yoke (joining together) by the Greeks, and Jugum (yoke that connects) by the Romans. In Latin, Libra is the word for measuring or weighing and equalizing. Libra was seen as the capacity for balance, or mediation, between two opposing forces, especially for lovers, partnerships, and intimates.
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, and the brightest object in the sky after the Sun and Moon. Half the year Venus is called the Evening Star and the other half of the year Venus is the Morning Star shining brightly in the east. Composed primarily of carbon dioxide, which traps heat like a greenhouse, Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system with a temperature of 900 degrees. Called sister to our Earth, Venus is a warm, enclosed world that spins very slowly and in the opposite direction of most of the other planets. A day on Venus is 177 Earth days.
Last updated on October 22, 2014 at 9:11 am. Word Count: 336
