Libra: Difference between revisions

Libra is home to the star Gliese 581, which has a planetary system consisting of at least 6 planets. Both Gliese 581 d, and Gliese 581 g are debatably the most promising candidates for life, although Gliese 581 g's existences has been disputed and has not been entirely confirmed or agreed on in the scientific community.Gliese 581 c is considered to be the first Earth-like extrasolar planet to be found within its parent star's habitable zone. Gliese 581 e is possibly the smallest massexoplanet orbiting a normal star found to date  All of these exoplanets are of significance for establishing the likelihood of life outside of the Solar System

Libra was known in Babylonian astronomy as MUL Zibanu (the "scales" or "balance"), or alternatively as the Claws of the Scorpion. The scales were held sacred to the sun god Shamash, who was also the patron of truth and justice.[7] It was also seen as the Scorpion's Claws in ancient Greece.Since these times, Libra has been associated with law, fairness and civility. In Arabic zubānā means "scorpion's claws", and likely similarly in other Semitic languages: this resemblance of words may be why the Scorpion's claws became the Scales.It has also been suggested that the scales are an allusion to the fact that when the sun entered this part of theecliptic at the autumnal equinox, the days and nights are equal.Libra's status as the location of the equinox earned the equinox the name "First Point of Libra", though its position ended in 730 because of the precession of the equinoxes.