
Star profile
Zubenelhakrabi
Gamma Librae · Libra
What is Zubenelhakrabi
Zubenelhakrabi belongs to Libra, the only zodiacal constellation that does not depict a living being but a pair of scales. Its name, however, betrays a far older origin: «Zubān al-‘Aqrab», «the scorpion's claw», because Greek astronomers amputated a piece of the neighbouring Scorpion to assemble this latecomer balance. It is an orange K-type giant 163 light-years away, whose name will forever bear the mark of the mythological creature it once belonged to.
Where it is and when to see it
Zubenelhakrabi 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: the Sun sits at the opposite point of the sky and the star culminates around midnight. How high it climbs above the horizon depends on the latitude you watch from.
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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 Zubenelhakrabi
- Constellation
- Libra
- Apparent magnitude
- 3.91
- Distance
- 163.2 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 233.882° · Dec -14.790°
- Catalogue
- HIP 76333 · HD 138905
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
- Upsilon Librae3.60
- Tau Librae3.66
- Theta Librae4.13
- 16 Librae4.47
- Iota 1 Librae4.54