Zubenelgenubi is a white star in Libra whose Arabic name means the southern claw, from a time when these stars were the claws of the Scorpion.
At a glance
| type | white star (class A) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 75.8 light-years (23.2 pc) |
| its light left it | 75.8 years ago |
| luminosity | 42 × the Sun |
| radius | 2.84 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 8,720 K |
| constellation | Libra (Scales) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Zubenelgenubi
Zubenelgenubi is a white star of class A, hotter than the Sun, wider and far more luminous. Binoculars, or a sharp eye, show a fainter companion nearby; the two travel through space together.
Its name comes from the Arabic for the southern claw. Before Libra was seen as a pair of scales, its stars were the claws of neighbouring Scorpius, and Zubeneschamali was the northern claw. It lies very close to the ecliptic, so the Moon and planets pass near it and sometimes in front of it, and it is one of the stars used for celestial navigation.
What you see in the piece
From Earth the two claws of Libra seem a matched pair. In the piece Zubenelgenubi lies much closer than Zubeneschamali, and the scales tilt apart as you fly out.
Questions
What does Zubenelgenubi mean?
It is Arabic for the southern claw, from when the stars of Libra were the claws of the Scorpion.
How far away is Zubenelgenubi?
Zubenelgenubi is 75.8 light-years (23.2 pc) from the Sun.