Libra 3

In Greek mythology, Astraea (English translation: "star-maiden") was a daughter of Zeus and Themis or of Eos and Astraeus. She and her mother were both personifications of justice. Astraea was the last of the immortals to live with humans during the Iron Age, the final stage in the world's disintegration from the utopian Golden Age.

Fleeing from the wickedness of humanity, she ascended to heaven to become the constellation Virgo; the scales of justice she carried became the nearby constellation Libra.

Zubenelgenubi

Alpha2 Librae



Distance (Light Years) 77.2 ± 1.9
Visual Magnitude 2.75
Color (B-V) 0.15

Names For This Star

Other names for the star are Elgenubi, Kiffa Australis, or Elkhiffa Australis.
Zubenelgenubi and Elgenubi derive from the Arabic name Al Zuban al Janubiyyah, "The Southern Claw." This name reflects the fact that the stars of Libra once formed the claws of the Scorpion, Scorpius, the next Zodiac constellation to the east.

The alternative names Kiffa Australis and Elkhiffa Australis are a partially Latinized version of the Arabic name Al Kiffah al Janubiyyah, "The Southern Pan (of the Scales)."

Description of the Star

Zubelgenubi is a white A3IV subgiant star having a diameter of about twice that of the sun and a luminosity of about 38 times that of the sun. It has a companion separated by 231 arc sec from the primary star. This corresponds to a projected distance of 5500 AU.
It is suspected that the star has an additional close companion as well orbiting with a period of 20 days or so, according to Burnham.