When is the best time to observe 5 Librae?

5 Librae is best observed from March through May, with peak visibility during April when it transits around midnight in the Northern Hemisphere.

Where is 5 Librae located in the sky?

5 Librae lies in the constellation Libra at right ascension 14h 46m and declination -15° 28′.

What telescope do I need to split 5 Librae?

Splitting 5 Librae requires an aperture of roughly 100 mm or larger — the components are separated by about 3.1″ at magnitudes near 6.3. The companion is about 3.8 magnitudes fainter, so glare from the primary — not separation — sets the minimum aperture. Larger apertures and steady seeing help resolve the pair cleanly.

5 Librae — Double Star in Libra

Magnitude 6.3^m DoubleStar Libra (Lib) Visible

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Observe

1Physical Properties

Magnitude 6.33

Spectral Type K1III giant

Star Color Red (B-V 1.19)

2Position & Identifiers

RA 14h 45m 57.8s

Dec -15° 27' 35.0"

Constellation Libra (Lib)

HR 5503

HIP 72194

HD 129978

SAO 158788

Flamsteed 5 Lib

Double Cat 9376

SIMBAD

3How easy to split?

Primary 6.3 mag Companion 10.1 mag Separation 3.1″

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Telescope	Bortle 3	Bortle 4	Bortle 5
80 mm refractor 80mm refr.	Hard	Hard	Hard
150 mm Newton 150mm Newt.	Medium	Medium	Medium
Celestron C8 (203 mm SCT) C8 203mm	Medium+	Medium+	Medium+

Easy Medium Hard Very hard Impossible

Bortle 3 = rural · 4 = outer suburbs · 5 = suburbs

4Visibility

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Best season Mar – May (peak: Apr)

5Multiple Star System

Separation 3.1″

Companion Mag 10.1

Position Angle 250°

Star Colors A: Red

Discoverer HLD 20

Separation over time

Measured 1881 → 2016 (135 y)

Separation drift 2.7" → 3.1" (+0.40")

Rate +0.0030" / y

PA drift 250° → 250° (+0°, +0.000°/y)

Essentially fixed on human timescales — the same view your grandchildren will see.

Measured from the WDS observational archive. No orbital solution has been derived — most likely the period is too long to fit an orbit to the available measurement arc.