![]() It is so close to the star, though, that it's much too hot for water. The lightest of the planets is only about twice the mass of Earth. ![]() An artist's concept shows three of the planets known to orbit Gliese 581The star, Gliese 581, is a red dwarf, which means it is much smaller, fainter, and cooler than the Sun. Libra is also home to a star system that contains six planets or more, including one that is in an orbit where conditions are suitable for liquid water, which is a key ingredient for life. All four appear to be about 200 million years old. Three of the four are bigger and hotter than the Sun, while the fourth is smaller and cooler. Zubenelgenubi actually consists of at least four stars, which are split into two close pairs. The timing of the split is unclear, although it dates at least to the days of ancient Rome. By thousands of years ago, however, the claws had been snipped off and assigned to Libra instead. In ancient times, the stars represented the scorpion's claws. The stars are Zubenelgenubi and Zubeneschamali, which are Arabic names that mean the southern and northern claws, respectively. Libra's brightest stars, however, are named for the next constellation over, Scorpius.
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