Virgo is the sixth astrological sign in the Zodiac with the sun shining through the Zodiac area of Virgo between the 23rd of August and the 22nd of September.
The constellation Virgo.
Virgo is the second largest constellation in the night sky, after Hydra, occupying 1294 sq. degrees of the night sky with it’s name coming from the Latin term for Virgin. Virgo is a Northern Hemisphere constellation that is visible in the early Spring, visible all night in March and April. Due to its size, the sun takes 44 days to pass through Virgo, longer than any other constellation in the zodiac! There are many different myths and legends behind the Virgo constellation, with the most popular being linked to Dike, the Greek goddess of Justice and Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, the harvest goddess. It is believed that Earth experience eternal Spring until the god of the underworld abducted the Spring maiden, Persephone. Hades, the god of the underworld, kept Persephone captive after he fell in love with her and married her, making her the Queen of the underworld. Demeter was still searching for her daughter however but caught wind of her daughter’s location and went to see her brother Zeus, to see if he could help. Demeter was worried that Hades was not treating her daughter well, and so Zeus put a portrait of Persephone in the night sky, so that Demeter could always keep an eye on her.
How to find Virgo in the night sky.
Virgo can be easily spotted in the night sky by locating its brightest star, Spica. Spica is one of the 20 brightest stars in the night sky with an absolute magnitude of -3.55, 262 light years away from Earth. To find Virgo in the night sky, firstly locate the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) in the Northern part of the sky. Once you have located the Big Dipper, use the curve of the handle and imagine a curved line, or an arc, drawn from the end of the dipper down to the bright star Arcturus. Then, drag that line to drive a spike through Spica. The co-ordinates for Virgo, if you have a more advanced telescope or you are looking online or on an app are –
- Right ascension (the distance east of the First Point of Aries, measured along the celestial equator.): 13 hours
- Declination (the angular distance of a point on the celestial equator): 2 degrees.
- On the map: Visible between latitudes +80° and -80°
- Best seen: Spring, in clear skies, all night in March and April.
Get to know your Virgo friends.
As with every horoscope, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses and specific personality traits as per their zodiac sign. How well do you know your Virgo friends?
- Strengths – Humble, altruistic, logical, responsible, organised, orderly, modest and devoted
- Weaknesses – Obsessive, critical, excessive attention to insignificant details, perfectionist.
- Ruling planet – Mercury
- Symbol – The Virgin
- Polarity - Receptive
- Modality – Mutable
- Tarot Card -The Hermit
Name a star after a Virgo!
Now that you know all about the Virgo constellation, why not name a star after someone?. See all of our packages here -
