Virgo, the Maiden, is the largest constellation of the zodiac, a sprawling figure of the northern spring sky whose brightest star is the blue-white Spica.
At a glance
| stars in the figure | 14 |
|---|---|
| nearest star of the figure | Zavijava, 35.6 light-years (10.9 pc) |
| farthest star of the figure | Theta Virginis, 316 light-years (96.8 pc) |
| depth | the farthest is 8.9 × farther than the nearest |
| zodiac | ♍ the ecliptic runs through it |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Virgo
Virgo is an ancient figure, a maiden holding an ear of wheat, linked in Greek myth with the harvest goddess. Spica, the ear of wheat, is a pair of hot blue stars orbiting so close together that they are pulled out of round. Porrima is a double whose two matched stars circle each other; Vindemiatrix takes its name from the grape harvest.
The ecliptic runs through Virgo, and one of the two points where the Sun crosses the celestial equator lies within it. Far beyond its stars is the Virgo Cluster, a great swarm of galaxies, including M87, whose central black hole was the first to be imaged. Virgo is best seen on northern spring evenings.
What you see in the piece
Flown out to, the maiden’s stars spread from Zavijava, a close neighbour, to Theta Virginis, several times deeper; the galaxies behind them belong to another scale entirely.
Questions
What is the brightest star in Virgo?
Spica, a close pair of hot blue stars that marks the ear of wheat in the maiden’s hand.
How far away are the stars of Virgo?
They range from Zavijava, 35.6 light-years (10.9 pc), to Theta Virginis, 316 light-years (96.8 pc): the farthest is 8.9 × farther than the nearest.