COSMOS / CONSTELLATIONS / VIR
Virgo (Maiden)
The Maiden. IAU abbreviation Vir. One of the 48 classical constellations listed by Ptolemy in the Almagest in the 2nd century AD.
STAR CHART
KEY FACTS
- IAU abbreviation
- Vir
- Latin name / genitive
- Virgo / Virginis
- Position
- Right ascension ≈ 13 h 17 m; declination −22° to +14°
- Visibility from Türkiye
- Visible in full from anywhere in Türkiye. When it crosses the meridian its centre stands about 46° above the horizon from Ankara.
- Best time to observe
- Best placed at 21:00 Türkiye time around 7 June.
- Number of stars
- 177 stars brighter than magnitude 6.5 in the catalogue; 34 brighter than 5 and 10 brighter than 4.
INTERACTIVE LAB
Where is Virgo tonight?
The lab opens for Ankara on today’s date. Drag the time slider through the night; the “Best night” button jumps to the date when the constellation is highest at 21:00 (around 7 June). Change the city to compare the view from elsewhere in Türkiye and around the world.
MYTH, HISTORY AND OBSERVING
A maiden holding an ear of wheat, often identified with Demeter, goddess of agriculture, or Astraea, goddess of justice. It is the second-largest constellation; the name of its bright star Spica means “ear of grain”. The Virgo Cluster of galaxies, including M87, whose black hole was the first ever imaged in 2019, and the autumnal equinox point are here.
BRIGHTEST STARS
| Star | Magnitude | Distance (light-years) | Spectral type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spica | 0.98 | 250 | B1V |
| Porrima | 2.74 | 38 | F0V+ |
| Vindemiatrix | 2.85 | 110 | G8IIIvar |
| Heze | 3.38 | 74 | A3V |
| Minelauva | 3.39 | 198 | M3III |
| γ Vir | 3.52 | 39 | F0 |
| Zavijava | 3.59 | 36 | F8V |
| 109 Vir | 3.73 | 135 | A0V |
Magnitude: apparent brightness; the smaller the number, the brighter the star. Distances derive from parallax measurements and are uncertain for distant stars. Source: HYG v4.1 star catalogue (CC BY-SA 4.0).
SOURCES
Position, visibility and best observing time were computed approximately for this page from the catalogue stars (Ankara, 39.9° N). The 88 constellations were adopted by the IAU in 1922; their boundaries were drawn by Eugène Delporte in 1930.