Groovin' with the Moon and Zubenelgenubi
The half-moon will shine just above the bright double star Zubenelgenubi in Libra tonight (August 14), making for a stellar sight in binoculars. Stellarium It's fortunate that stars have such cool names: Nunki, Aldebaran, Rigil Kentaurus, Betelgeuse just to name a few. One of the most fun to say out loud is Zubenelgenubi (zoo-BEN-el-je-NEW-bee), which also goes by the more prosaic moniker Alpha Librae. It forms part of the outline of the diamond-shaped Libra the Scales, a zodiac constellation which represents weighing scales. In this 16th century globe created by Gerard Mercator Libra is shown both as a balance and the scorpion's claws. Public domain In ancient times, the Babylonians and Greeks alternatively pictured Libra as the Claws of the Scorpion, and included it as part of the neighboring constellation Scorpius. Its brightest stars still bear Arabic names that refer to the arachnid's pincer-like claws. Zubenelgenubi means "northern claw"; Zubeneschamali (z...