Virgo

The Maiden

A big, loosely drawn spring zodiac constellation with brilliant blue-white Spica and a vast cluster of galaxies beyond the reach of small telescopes.

Chart drawn as the sky looks when you face the constellation: north is up and east is to the left. Dot size shows brightness, and color hints at temperature. The connecting lines are one common stick figure; other traditions draw them differently.

Best season: Spring
Best months: April through July, high in the south on spring evenings
Visibility: Visible from everywhere in the United States
Abbreviation: Vir

How to find it

Follow the curve of the Big Dipper's handle to Arcturus, then continue the same arc 'on to Spica.' The brilliant blue-white star you reach is Spica.
A Y-shaped pattern of stars rises above Spica to make the rest of the Maiden.

Brightest stars

Spica (blue-white, the brightest star in Virgo)
Porrima (a double star)
Vindemiatrix

What to look for

The blue-white color of Spica, noticeably different from the orange of Arcturus in the same sweep of sky.

Binocular and telescope targets

Virgo Cluster: thousands of galaxies, with dozens visible in a mid-sized telescope
M87: a giant elliptical galaxy at the cluster's heart
Sombrero Galaxy (M104): a bright galaxy with a dust lane, popular for small telescopes

Using it to find other things

Arc to Arcturus, speed to Spica: follow the Big Dipper's handle to Arcturus, then continue the arc to Spica.
Virgo and the Virgo Cluster lie next to Leo's hindquarters.

About this constellation

Virgo is the second-largest constellation in the sky by area, and only Spica stands out clearly. The rest is a loose sprawl of fainter stars.

The real reward is what is behind the maiden: when you look toward Virgo in spring you look out of the Milky Way's disk toward a huge cluster of galaxies. A small telescope can show a few of them, and bigger ones show many more.

Related guides

Visibility depends on your latitude, the date, and the time of night. The months above assume a typical evening from the contiguous United States, so use a planetarium app to confirm what is up tonight. Never look at the Sun through binoculars or a telescope without a proper solar filter.

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