Libra (constellation)

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/libra-constellation

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is the Libra (constellation)?533.3 square degrees (29th largest)
2. How deep is the Libra (constellation)?Messier 5 (globular cluster), NGC 5897 (globular cluster)
3. What is the ecliptic position?One of the twelve zodiac constellations
4. What is the brightest star?Beta Librae (Zubeneschamali), a blue-white star
5. What does the constellation Libra look like?Libra looks like a pair of scales, shaped like a balance. It is one of the twelve zodiac constellations that can be seen in the night sky.
6. Which stars are the brightest in Libra?The brightest star is Beta Librae, a blue‑white star that gets a little brighter in spring. Another important star is Alpha Librae, a binary system with a pale yellow and a pale blue star.

Ecliptic: The apparent path of the Sun, Moon, and planets across the celestial sphere.
Globular Cluster: A dense, spherical collection of hundreds of thousands of ancient stars.
Precession of the Equinoxes: The slow wobble of Earth's axis, causing the timing of the equinoxes to shift over thousands of years.