Virgo is the only female constellation of the zodiac and was seen as a deity for many centuries by many cultures. She was seen by the Romans as Astraea the goddess of justice, by the Babylonians as the fertility goddess of Ishtar, and by the Greeks as Demeter, goddess of the harvest. Virgo is pictured in drawings holding an ear of wheat, or carrying a scale (the adjoining constellation of Libra).
Virgo is the second largest constellation and is highest in the northern hemisphere during May and June. The brightest star in Virgo is Spica - a bright white star of the first magnitude and is 220 light years away from us. It is 2 000 times more luminous than the Sun!
In Virgo and the constellation of Coma Berenices there are more than 13 000 galaxies to be seen, known as the Virgo Cluster or Coma-Virgo cluster. It contains many Messier objects and some of these galaxies is a sight to behold through telescopes, especially telescopes like the 13 inch refractor at Boyden.
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