Virgo is found in the months of April through July.
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Virgo

The constellation Virgo is known as The Maiden. The constellation represents almost every famous and powerful female in mythology, including Athena, Artemis, Persephone and Demeter. She is usually carrying a grain of wheat and a staff.

The brightest star in the constellation is Spica, which happens to be the grain of wheat. Its name is Latin for "ear of wheat". In the image, Spica is the large, white sphere in the lower left. At first the constellation doesn't look like a person, until you realize she is laying down! Her head is towards the east.

There is a large cluster of galaxies to the east of her left arm. It contains over 3,000 galaxies!

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The Summer 2010 issue of The Earth Scientist, available in our online store, includes articles on rivers and snow, classroom planetariums, satellites and oceanography, hands-on astronomy, and global warming.

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