An Astronomer's Tale by Gary Fildes

Author:Gary Fildes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House
Published: 2016-07-27T16:00:00+00:00

The shape of the constellation Virgo is depicted as a young maiden holding a sheaf of wheat in her hand. The sheaf is represented by the star Spica, the brightest in Virgo, and finding Spica is the easiest way to locate yourself in this sprawling constellation – the second largest in the night sky and trumped for size only by the much fainter Hydra. You’ll quickly enter Virgo if you start at Zosma in Leo and draw a line through and past Denebola. A far more common way to navigate is to use the Plough in Ursa Major and Arcturus in Boötes (see next constellation).

Move up in the sky from Spica and you’ll reach Heze (ζ Vir) in her leg. Taking a 90-degree turn to the right will lead you to Auva (δ Vir) in the middle of her chest. This star is flanked on either side by the beautifully named arm stars of Vindemiatrix (ε Vir) and Porrima (γ Vir). Virgo’s second brightest star – the fantastically named Zavijava – sits just to the right of Virgo’s head, approximately halfway between Spica and Regulus.

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