Virgin (constellation)

History and mythology

The Virgin is one of the oldest constellations, like almost all those of the Zodiac. She probably draws her origin owing to the fact that the Sun was formerly in the Virgin at the time of the equinox of autumn: the heliacal Lever of Spica corresponded about to the period of the harvests, and that of Vindemiatrix to that of the grape harvest.

On the other hand, the character whom represents originally the constellation is not known and almost all large the Déesse S of Antiquity was bound there, such Aset (Isis), Déméter, Perséphone, Cybèle, Artémis, Athéna, etc

One of the versions hanging up again itself with the Greek Mythologie identifies it with the goddess of Justice, THEMIS or Astrée, which would have left the Earth by dislike of the coarseness of the men. The Virgin since then is almost always drawn carrying the Balance, as well as a corn ear.

Observation of stars

; Location of the constellation The Virgin locates herself gradually around her major star, Spica.

In the Northern hemisphere, Spica is located easily starting from Large Ourse: the sleeve of the " casserole" large an arc of circle until Arcturus continues, in the Herdsman (in top in the image opposite), and the prolongation of this arc led to Spica.

Spica can be also located directly by the vicinity of the Corbel (in bottom of the image): it is the brilliant star which the crow supervises.

To locate the large triangle formed by Delebola of the Lion (in top on the right on the image), Arcturus of the Herdsman, and Spica. In the center of this triangle Vindemiatrix, the " is; main" of the Virgin.

More in South-east the first stars of the Balance are.

; Form constellation Alignments drawing the Virgin are not very suggestive, the image of a Virgin is difficult to visualize. ; The back: In the axis Spica - Delebola, one sees an alignment of three small stars θ, γ (Porrima) and η (Zaniah), leading to the head of the Virgin, located under the tail of the Lion (Delebola). ; The head: In the axis of the back, under Delebola, one falls on Heze (ζ Vir) to the south, which forms the nape of the neck. The shape of the head (between Heze and Denebola) depends much on the conditions of visibility. ; The arm: On the basis of Vindemiatrix (ε Vir) in direction of the Corbel, one meets with the elbow Auva (δ Vir) and Porrima (γ Vir) with the shoulder. ; The leg: On the basis of Spica in direction of Arcturus, one falls (a little on the right) on Heze (ζ Vir), the knees. From there, the " juppe" from the Virgin extends towards the East, without form very convainquante.

Principal stars

α Virginis (the Ear, Spica)

The most brilliant star of the constellation of the Virgin is α Virginis (the Ear, or Latin Spica in ). She is easy to find: while following the curve of the Large Ourse and by continuing Arcturus beyond (in the Herdsman), one leads to α Vir.

With a Magnitude connect of 0,98, α Vir is the 14th the most brilliant star of the sky, but owes it with the fact that it is a star doubles, its two blue components orbiting with 0,12 ua of distance in a little more than 4 days. It would also have two or three other components more lointaintes and less brilliant.

It is slightly variable: the two principal stars composing it are so close that the forces of tide of the one on the other deform them and make them ellipsoidal. At the time of their orbit, they all the time do not have same surface and the brightness perceived on Ground varies very slightly.

Other stars

Several other stars of the Virgin bear a proper name: Zavijava (β Vir), γ Vir (Porrima), ε Vir (Vindemiatrix, Vendémiaire, because its Lever heliacal indicated the beginning of the Roman grape harvest at the time ), Zaniah (η Vir) and Syrma (ι Vir).

γ Vir is a double star whose two components are almost identical, of white stars magnitude connect 3,65 and 3,68, producing a total magnitude of 2,74.

70 Virginis (magnitude connects 4,97) has a Exoplanète of 6,6 times the mass of Jupiter.

Ross 128 (FI Virginis), a Dwarf red, is the 11th star nearest to the Solar system, distant 10,91 light-years.

Celestial objects

5° with 10° in the west of Vindemiatrix, near to the northern border of the constellation, is the Virgo Cluster, a cluster of Galaxie S distant of approximately 80 million light-years and comprising more than 3.000 objects. The constellation of the Virgin is thus very rich in galaxies. Among the members of this cluster, one can note M49 (elliptic), M58 (spiral), M59 (elliptic), M60 (elliptic), M61 (spiral), M84 (elliptic), M86 (elliptic), M87 (elliptic and a famous radio source), M90 (spiral), NGC 4526 (spiral), NGC 4697 (elliptic) and NGC 4699 (spiral barred).

M104 is another elliptic galaxy present in the constellation. It is also named Galaxie of the Sombrero because of his characteristic form. It is with 10° in the west of Ear.

The constellation also contains the center of a galactic supercluster, the Superamas of the Virgin, to which the local Groupe belongs.

In background of the Galaxy cluster Abell 1835 was detected an object which has a time considered as being the oldest known galaxy, Abell 1835 IR1916, which would have gone back to 470 million years after the Big Bang. This assumption was abandoned thereafter, the nature and the existence even of this object being dubious.

See too

List of stars of the Virgin

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