Zubeneschamali

Zubeneschamali, designated Beta Librae, is a star in the zodiacal constellation Libra. It is one of the brightest stars in Libra, with an apparent magnitude of about 2.6, and lies at a distance of roughly 80 light-years from the Sun.

The name Zubeneschamali comes from Arabic al-zuban ash-shamālī, meaning “the northern claw,” in reference to Libra’s position near the claws of Scorpius. Along with Zubenelgenubi, meaning “the southern claw,” these two stars were historically used to mark the claws of the Scorpion. In the Bayer designation, Zubeneschamali is Beta Librae, while Zubenelgenubi is Alpha Librae.

Stellar characteristics are that Zubeneschamali is a hot, blue-white star generally classified as a B-type star and is believed to be on or near the main sequence. Its color has been described by some observers as greenish to the naked eye, but modern photometry does not confirm a true color anomaly; such impressions are typically attributed to perceptual effects or atmospheric conditions.

Observational notes: Zubeneschamali is visible to the naked eye from most inhabited parts of the world and is best seen in spring evenings from the Northern Hemisphere. Its relatively close distance contributes to its prominence in the Libra region of the sky.