Virgo

Abbreviation: Vir
Genitive: Virginis
Right Ascension: 13.21 hours
Declination: -3.73 degrees

Virgo, the Virgin, can be seen in spring and summer in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn and winter in the Southern Hemisphere.

Virgo the Goddess probably originated when the Sun was in Virgo during the spring equinox, the time of the Egyptian harvest. She is usually drawn holding a palm branch and an ear of wheat.

To the Babylonians she was the goddess Istar, Queen of the stars, and the lover of the god of corn, Tammuz. Tammuz was cut down in his prime in the autumn, and so Virgo travels the underworld to bring him back. While Virgo is in the underworld, winter reigns, when she returns with him in the spring, the season renew.

Bright Stars | Deep Sky | Other Deep Sky | Variable Stars | Double Stars

Best Known Stars

(Yale Bright Star Catalog)

Common Name or Bayer Number 1	RA	DEC	Magnitude 2
SPICA	13.00:25.00:11.58	-11.00:9.00:40.71	0.98
VINDEMIATRIX	13.00:2.00:10.60	+10.00:57.00:32.88	2.83
ZET VIR	13.00:34.00:41.58	-0.00:35.00:45.39	3.37
DEL VIR	12.00:55.00:36.21	+3.00:23.00:50.75	3.38
ZAVIJAVA	11.00:50.00:41.72	+1.00:45.00:52.86	3.61
109 VIR	14.00:46.00:14.93	+1.00:53.00:34.16	3.72
MU VIR	14.00:43.00:3.62	-5.00:39.00:29.56	3.88
ZANIAH	12.00:19.00:54.35	-0.00:40.00:0.51	3.89
NU VIR	11.00:45.00:51.56	+6.00:31.00:45.55	4.03
SYRMA	14.00:16.00:0.91	-6.00:0.00:2.04	4.08
OMI VIR	12.00:5.00:12.53	+8.00:43.00:58.58	4.12
KAP VIR	14.00:12.00:53.75	-10.00:16.00:25.44	4.19
TAU VIR	14.00:1.00:38.79	+1.00:32.00:40.24	4.26
THE VIR	13.00:9.00:56.99	-5.00:32.00:20.42	4.38
PI VIR	12.00:0.00:52.39	+6.00:36.00:51.43	4.66
CHI VIR	12.00:39.00:14.77	-7.00:59.00:44.23	4.66
61 VIR	13.00:18.00:24.31	-18.00:18.00:40.57	4.74
PSI VIR	12.00:54.00:21.16	-9.00:32.00:20.28	4.79
SIG VIR	13.00:17.00:36.28	+5.00:28.00:11.45	4.80
PHI VIR	14.00:28.00:12.14	-2.00:13.00:40.67	4.81
RHO VIR	12.00:41.00:53.06	+10.00:14.00:8.14	4.88
78 VIR	13.00:34.00:7.93	+3.00:39.00:32.12	4.94
16 VIR	12.00:20.00:20.98	+3.00:18.00:45.05	4.96
89 VIR	13.00:49.00:52.28	-18.00:8.00:3.11	4.97
70 VIR	13.00:28.00:25.80	+13.00:46.00:43.50	4.98
82 VIR	13.00:41.00:36.77	-8.00:42.00:10.93	5.01
32 VIR	12.00:45.00:37.06	+7.00:40.00:23.83	5.22
68 VIR	13.00:26.00:43.16	-12.00:42.00:27.71	5.25
83 VIR	13.00:44.00:29.82	-16.00:10.00:44.75	5.60
80 VIR	13.00:35.00:31.29	-5.00:23.00:46.30	5.73
44 VIR	12.00:59.00:39.52	-3.00:48.00:42.97	5.79
25 VIR	12.00:36.00:47.35	-5.00:49.00:54.83	5.87
35 VIR	12.00:47.00:51.41	+3.00:34.00:21.67	6.41

Deep Sky Objects

(PAS Catalog)

M-104

M-104 The Sombrero Galaxy. This is one of the finest showpiece objects in the sky. This beautiful edge-on galaxy is 8-10'x2', oriented E-W, and has an obvious central bulge, with a distinct dark lane running the length of the galaxy.

M-49

M-49 is an elliptical galaxy and was the first member of the Virgo cluster of galaxies discovered, by Charles Messier on February 19, 1771. It is also one of the brightest with its mag 8.5,

M-58

M-58 With dimensions of about 5'x2', this is one of the larger galaxies in this region. It is spindle-shaped, oriented NE-SW, and has a broadly concentrated center. There is a relatively bright star nearby to the west.

M-59

M-59 is a member of the Virgo cluster of galaxies, and one of the larger elliptical galaxies there, although it is considerably less luminous and massive than the greatest ellipticals in this cluster.

M-60

M-60 is conspicuous in telescopes starting from 4 inch because of its faint neighbor, NGC 4647, shown in the image. Photographs obtained with larger instruments, such as this one, show a large system of faint globular clusters

M-61

M-61 This galaxy is a face-on spiral, about 6'x4', oriented NNE-SSW. It is fairly even in brightness except for a stellar nucleus and some faint mottlings on its eastern and western sides.

M-84

M-84,M86 These relatively bright galaxies are very similar in appearance, and are visible in the same low-power field of view. M-84 is round, about 3' in diameter, has a large 1' diameter core, and a stellar nucleus. M-86 is larger (about 4' in diameter), and fainter, and also has a stellar nucleus.

M-86

(See M-84)

M-87

M-87 This is a very bright galaxy, about 4' in diameter, with a large core and non-stellar nucleus.

M-89

M-89 is another member of the Virgo cluster of galaxies, and apparently one of Messier's own discoveries. It is of elliptical type and nearly exactly circular, and it appears to be smoothly textured.

M-90

M-90 is one of the larger (9.5x4.5') spirals in the Virgo Cluster of Galaxies. It has tightly wounded, smooth bright spiral arms, which appear to be completely 'fossil', meaning that currently no star formation appears to take place, with the only exception of the inner disk region, near the darker dust lanes.

Other Deep Sky Objects

(Saguaro Astronomy Club Catalog)

Only Objects less than 10.0 Mag.

Object	R.A.	Dec.	Object Type 3	Mag.	Uranometria	Tirion
NGC 4216	12 15.9	+13 09	GALXY	10.0	193	13
NGC 4303	12 22.0	+04 29	GALXY	09.6	238	13
NGC 4365	12 24.5	+07 20	GALXY	09.6	193	13
NGC 4374	12 25.1	+12 54	GALXY	09.1	193	13
NGC 4406	12 26.3	+12 57	GALXY	08.9	193	13
NGC 4429	12 27.5	+11 07	GALXY	10.0	193	13
NGC 4472	12 29.8	+08 01	GALXY	08.4	193	13
NGC 4486	12 30.9	+12 24	GALXY	08.6	193	13
NGC 4526	12 34.1	+07 43	GALXY	09.7	194	13
NGC 4535	12 34.4	+08 13	GALXY	10.0	194	13
NGC 4552	12 35.7	+12 34	GALXY	09.8	194	13
NGC 4569	12 36.9	+13 10	GALXY	09.5	194	13
NGC 4579	12 37.8	+11 50	GALXY	09.7	194	13
NGC 4594	12 39.9	-11 37	GALXY	08	284	13
NGC 4621	12 42.1	+11 39	GALXY	09.6	194	13
NGC 4636	12 42.9	+02 42	GALXY	09.5	239	13
NGC 4649	12 43.7	+11 34	GALXY	08.8	194	13
NGC 4697	12 48.6	-05 48	GALXY	09.2	284	13
NGC 4699	12 49.1	-08 40	GALXY	09.5	284	13
NGC 4753	12 52.4	-01 12	GALXY	09.9	239	13
NGC 5068	13 18.9	-21 03	GALXY	10.0	330	21
NGC 5247	13 38.0	-17 53	GALXY	10.0	331	14
NGC 5846	15 06.5	+01 36	GALXY	10.0	243	14

Variable Stars

(General Catalog of Variable Stars)

Only Objects <= 8.0 magnitude

GCVS ID	R.A. (hh mm ss.ss)	Dec. (deg mm ss)	Variable Type 4	Mag. Min	Mag. Max
RW Vir	12.00:4.00:41.10	-6.00:29.00:15.00	LB	7.38	6.72
SW Vir	13.00:11.00:29.70	-2.00:32.00:33.00	SRB	7.90	6.40
CS Vir	14.00:15.00:52.00	-18.00:29.00:8.00	ACV	5.95	5.84
CU Vir	14.00:9.00:43.80	+2.00:38.00:38.00	ACV	5.07	4.92
CW Vir	13.00:31.00:35.80	+3.00:54.00:54.00	ACV	4.99	4.91
DK Vir	13.00:13.00:51.30	-1.00:7.00:35.00	DSCTC	6.72	6.67
DL Vir	13.00:49.00:54.70	-18.00:27.00:45.00	EA	7.50	7.00
EP Vir	12.00:44.00:29.90	+6.00:13.00:27.00	ACV	6.39	6.29
ER Vir	14.00:3.00:59.20	-13.00:58.00:1.00	SRB	6.63	6.45
ET Vir	14.00:8.00:6.30	-16.00:4.00:0.00	SRB	5.00	4.80
EV Vir	14.00:10.00:27.20	-13.00:37.00:34.00	SRB	7.09	6.74
EZ Vir	14.00:18.00:17.30	-18.00:45.00:49.00	SRB	7.97	7.77
FF Vir	14.00:23.00:23.00	+1.00:13.00:4.00	ACV	7.13	7.07
FG Vir	12.00:11.00:41.60	-5.00:26.00:25.00	DSCTC	6.58	6.53
FH Vir	13.00:13.00:52.70	+6.00:46.00:8.00	SRB	7.45	6.92
FK Vir	12.00:21.00:38.50	+6.00:14.00:56.00	SRB	7.78	7.50
FM Vir	12.00:43.00:5.40	+7.00:56.00:47.00	DSCTC	5.28	5.20
FO Vir	13.00:27.00:14.10	+1.00:21.00:17.00	EB/KE	6.82	6.50
FP Vir	13.00:33.00:22.40	+8.00:32.00:52.00	SRB	7.35	6.72
FR Vir	14.00:6.00:14.30	-19.00:0.00:30.00	LB:	7.19	7.02
FS Vir	14.00:12.00:21.60	+3.00:34.00:7.00	LB:	6.52	6.37
FT Vir	12.00:25.00:17.50	-4.00:20.00:20.00	DSCTC	6.24	6.20
FW Vir	12.00:35.00:49.30	+2.00:7.00:46.00	SRB:	5.75	5.63
FZ Vir	12.00:26.00:35.70	-2.00:9.00:11.00	SRB	6.98	6.81
GG Vir	12.00:39.00:3.00	+10.00:42.00:0.00	DSCT	6.33	6.19
GR Vir	14.00:42.00:41.70	-6.00:31.00:30.00	EW/KW	0.45	7.80
GZ Vir	13.00:10.00:39.50	-2.00:17.00:27.00	DSCTC	0.03	8.00
HT Vir	13.00:43.00:36.10	+5.00:21.00:56.00	EW/KW	7.48	7.06
HX Vir	13.00:29.00:20.70	-18.00:28.00:18.00	DSCTC	0.02	6.01
II Vir	12.00:7.00:53.10	-7.00:29.00:46.00	DSCTC:	6.55	6.49
IO Vir	14.00:8.00:40.00	-7.00:30.00:42.00	M	6.00	4.00
alf Vir	13.00:22.00:33.30	-10.00:54.00:3.00	ELL+BCEP	0.10	0.95
rho Vir	12.00:39.00:21.20	+10.00:30.00:39.00	DSCTC	0.02	4.88
psi Vir	12.00:51.00:44.90	-9.00:16.00:4.00	LB	4.96	4.73
ome Vir	11.00:35.00:52.90	+8.00:24.00:40.00	LB	5.50	5.23

Double Stars

(Saguaro Astronomy Club Catalog)

Only Objects <= 8.0 magnitude

Name	R.A. (hh mm.m)	Dec. (deg mm)	Mag 5	Sep 6	PA 7	Tirion	Uranometria
STF 1627	12 18.1	-03 56	6.6, 6.9	20.10	196	13/ 14	238
STF 1670	12 41.7	-01 26	3.6, 3.7	3.70	295	13/ 14	239
SHJ 151	13 13.4	-18 49	6.8, 7.3	5.30	34	14	285/ 330
SHJ 162	13 15.0	-11 21	6.9, 7.8	79.30	49	14	285
STF 1734	13 20.7	02 56	6.7, 7.4	1.10	178	14	240
STF 1740	13 23.7	02 42	7.4, 7.6	26.50	75	14	240
STF 1763	13 37.6	-07 52	7.9, 7.9	2.70	40	14	285/ 286
STF 1788	13 55.0	-08 03	6.5, 7.7	3.40	94	14	286
STF 1833	14 22.7	-07 46	7.6, 7.6	5.70	173	14	287
STT 131	14 53.8	-00 25	8.0, 8.0	86.90	212	14	243
STF 1904	15 04.2	05 29	7.2, 7.2	10.10	347	14/ 15	198/ 243