Find it in the sky
Follow the arc of the Dipper’s handle to Arcturus, and speed on to Spica.
Zodiac
Virgo
Virgo: home of Spica, a hot blue star.
Best in May, around 9 p.m.No. 2 of the 88 constellations by areaBrightest star Spica (magnitude 0.97)8 stars in this guide
The drawings on these maps are the game’s, and don’t show exact positions in the sky.
Legend
Most often Virgo is Astraea, goddess of justice, the last to leave the Earth when people grew wicked. The ear of wheat in her hand, Spica, stands for the harvest; some tales tie her to Demeter and her daughter Persephone.
Sign
23 August to 22 September. In the real sky the Sun passes in front of Virgo from about 16 September to 30 October: at 44 days, the longest of the zodiac constellations.
Its stars
Magnitude says how bright a star looks from here: the smaller the number, the brighter the star.
Zavijava
Beta Virginis
- Type
- Yellow-white star
- Distance
- about 36 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 3.61
- Name
- “Corner of the barker” (Arabic)
A Sun-like star, a little bigger. The Moon often passes in front of it.
Zaniah
Eta Virginis
- Type
- White star
- Distance
- about 250 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 3.89
- Name
- “Corner” (Arabic)
A triple star near the Sun’s path, so the Moon often hides it.
Porrima
Gamma Virginis
- Type
- Yellow-white star
- Distance
- about 38 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 2.74
- Name
- A Roman goddess of prophecy
Two near-twin stars circling every 169 years; in 2005 only the largest telescopes could split them.
Minelauva
Delta Virginis
- Type
- Red giant
- Distance
- about 200 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 3.38
- Name
- “The barker” (Arabic)
A red giant about 50 times wider than the Sun.
Vindemiatrix
Epsilon Virginis
- Type
- Yellow giant
- Distance
- about 110 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 2.85
- Name
- “The grape-gatherer” (Latin)
In antiquity its rising at dawn was the sign to start the grape harvest.
Heze
Zeta Virginis
- Type
- White star
- Distance
- about 73 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 3.37
- Name
- Origin unknown
Just south of the celestial equator, so it can be seen from everywhere on Earth.
Syrma
Iota Virginis
- Type
- Yellow-white giant
- Distance
- about 70 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 4.08
- Name
- “Train of a robe” (Greek)
At the hem of Virgo’s robe: a yellow-white star a little hotter than the Sun.
Spica
Alpha Virginis
- Type
- Blue giant
- Distance
- about 250 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 0.97
- Name
- “Ear of wheat” (Latin)
Comparing Spica with old records, Hipparchus found Earth’s slow wobble. Its two stars circle every 4 days.
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Sources: constellation areas follow the International Astronomical Union (IAU) boundaries; star values come from Wikipedia’s articles, based on Hipparcos and Gaia; the Sun’s dates come from EarthSky. Distances are rounded.