Star profile
Delta Librae
Variable starWhat is Delta Librae
Delta Librae is one of the best-known eclipsing binaries in the sky: every little more than two days, an unseen companion passes in front of it and visibly dims its light. At some 294 light-years, its primary is a blue-white B-type star, young and hot. It sits in Libra, that stretch of the zodiac which in antiquity formed part of the Scorpion's claws.
Where it is and when to see it
Delta Librae lies in the southern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is May, when it culminates around midnight.
- From London it culminates about 30° above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 41° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 65° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 81° N.
It ranks no. 12 in brightness among the 49 stars of Libra in our catalogue. To find it, start from Zubeneschamali, the brightest: it lies about 4° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 290 years ago.
It opens in your browser. Free, no account, nothing to install.
Leave your signature on Delta Librae
Your name and a message go up on the map for everyone to read. Signing is free.
Without a lock, someone else can replace your signature. How the lock works
We'll ask for an email to confirm it's you, no password.
A public signature from a real person. The chosen name is a symbolic denomination within Stelvia, with no official standing or IAU recognition: the sky is not for sale and belongs to no one.
Astronomical data for Delta Librae
- Constellation
- Libra
- Apparent magnitude
- 4.91
- Distance
- 293.6 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 225.243° · Dec -8.519°
- Catalogue
- HIP 73473 · HD 132742
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Libra
Libra has 49 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- ZubeneschamaliBeta Librae2.61
- ZubenelgenubiAlpha 2 Librae2.75
- BrachiumSigma Librae3.25
- Iota 1 Librae4.54
- 37 Librae4.61
- Kappa Librae4.75
- Epsilon Librae4.92
- 11 Librae4.93