The most prominent part of Virgo, the Virgin, spreads to the
northwest (to the right) of the first magnitude star Spica, the
fainter of the two bright bodies at the lower left corner. The
brighter is reddish Mars, which moved through Virgo in the summer
of 1999. To the right of center, a near-vertical line of
three stars curves to the right, Vindemiatrix on top, Awwa (Delta) in the
middle, Porrima
at the bottom. Porrima and the star down and to the right of it
point at the autumnal equinox. Well up and to the right of Spica is Heze (Zeta).
Off the picture to the right lies
western Virgo and the
Autumnal Equinox, where they are seen in context with
Leo, Coma Berenices,
and Leo Minor.
|
