How to find Virgo constellation

Virgo Constellation

Fig. 1. Constellation Virgo ♍ , scheme

To find the Virgo constellation, first of all, you need to find the brightest star of the constellation - Spica.
The easiest way to do this is to use the stars of neighboring constellations to determine the location of Alpha Virgo, but first you need to know them, and secondly they are not always visible completely.

1. The most universal way to determine the location of the Virgo constellation is to approach from the north using the constellations Ursa Minor and Ursa Major:

Fig. 2 How to find the constellation Virgo, starting from the northern part of the sky

2. If you are familiar with the Bootes constellation, then it is worth taking note that the asterism of Parachute is located so that in the alleged "landing" it will just go directly to Spica - this is the most unreasonable way to find the Virgo constellation.

3. A textbook “non-linear” method of searching for a constellation is often proposed - using an arc, as it were, starting from the tip of the handle of the Big Dipper Bucket, passing through Arcturus, the brightest star of Bootes, and further leading to Spica, the brightest star of Virgo (Fig. 2 ):

Fig. 3 How to find a bright star of the constellation Virgo - Spica (α Vir), starting from the asterism of the Big Dipper of the constellation Ursa Major

In fact, if you look closely at the resulting curve leading from Alkaid to Spica, more carefully, you can determine that it consists of arcs of two circles (their radii in the figure are indicated by very thin red filament lines): the first, Alkaid - Arkturus has a center in the constellation Leo near the star Zosma (δ Leo), and in the second, Arcturus - Spica , the center is located near the star Al Jabah (η Leo).

4. Virgo can also be found using the constellation Leo: If you continue the line from Algenubi (ε Leo) through Algeba (γ Leo) to the star Jie Zeang (ι Leo) and beyond, then it will lead directly to Spica.

5. The constellation Virgo can be found with the help of the Moon - the Moon visits Virgo at least once a month. Just to avoid flare, it is better to start looking for the constellation, either before the moon comes into it, or after it passes through it. You can find out about the time of the night star's approach to the Virgo constellation on the page: Moon - a guide to the constellations

Sergey Ov (Seosnews9): Дева, Virgo (Vir), the first constellation of the Zodiac