Modern observers – and we’re talking about professional astronomers now – often say that the star Zubeneschamali in the constellation Libra is white or bluish.
But – within the range of wavelengths and intensities found in stars – greens get mixed with other colors.
Why? It might be because the other star, Zubenelgenubi, sits squarely on the ecliptic, the annual pathway of the sun in front of the background stars.
They are Arabic phrases meaning the Northern Claw , respectively.
Well over 2,000 years ago, the sun on the autumn equinox shone in front of Libra, the balance symbolizing the equal duration of day and night on the equinox.
In the star lore of the ancient Greeks, the constellation Virgo represents Astrea, the goddess of justice, holding Libra the Scales and weighing judgment upon human souls.