Virgo
The maiden with a brilliant beacon
Best on March–May evenings · celestial equator (visible from both hemispheres).
Virgo is the largest zodiac constellation and the second-largest in the entire sky, sprawling along the celestial equator where it's reachable from both hemispheres. It's anchored by Spica, one of the brightest stars in the night sky, and forms a broad, Y-shaped pattern that rewards a little patience to trace out fully.
How to find it
Spring evenings are prime time, when Virgo rides well up in the south for northern observers and high overhead from the tropics. The quickest route is to follow the arc of the Big Dipper's handle away from the bowl — 'arc to Arcturus' in Boötes, then continue that same curve onward to brilliant Spica. Once you have Spica, the rest of Virgo fans out to the upper right, with Porrima and Vindemiatrix marking the body of the figure.
Brightest stars
Blue-white Spica dominates at magnitude 0.98, making it unmistakable and one of the twenty brightest stars in the sky. Vindemiatrix follows at a considerably fainter 2.83, with Heze (3.37), Auva (3.38), Zavijava (3.61), and Porrima (3.65) filling out the constellation's outline.
Worth seeing
Spica itself is the standout — a piercing blue-white point that snaps into focus the moment you sweep into that part of the sky, and a satisfying destination at the end of the arc from the Big Dipper's handle.
Frequently asked
When is Virgo best visible?
Spring evenings, roughly March through May, when Virgo climbs well into the southern sky for northern hemisphere observers. Because it straddles the celestial equator it's also well placed from the southern hemisphere at the same time of year.
What are the brightest stars in Virgo?
Spica (magnitude 0.98) is by far the brightest and one of the most luminous stars in the whole night sky. Vindemiatrix at 2.83 is next, followed by Heze, Auva, Zavijava, and Porrima, all clustered between magnitudes 3.37 and 3.65.
Which hemisphere can see Virgo?
Both. Virgo sits on the celestial equator, so it rises and sets for observers across the northern and southern hemispheres alike — a big reason it became one of the best-known zodiac constellations worldwide.
Nearby constellations
Corvus · Libra · Boötes · Leo · Hydra · Centaurus · Serpens · Scorpius