As Spring turns to Summer, the constellation Virgo reclines in the south after sunset. Virgo is lying on her back holding an ear of wheat in one hand and a dove of peace in the other. It's difficult to make out her silhouette in the sky - many of the stars are dim, and really don’t look much like a maiden. But her brightest star, Spica (pronounced SPY-ka), makes up for this obscurity. Spica is one of the most beautiful blue stars and easy to locate.
First find the Big Dipper in the northern sky. Trace down the arc of the handle and continue that curved line out in the sky. This should take you to a very bright, vaguely orange star called Arcturus. Now straighten out the line a little more and continue it until you hit Spica farther in the south. And there is Virgo. There is a catchy saying to remember all this. "Follow the arc to Arcturus then hit a spike to Spica." All right, it’s not that catchy...
The majority of the cultural myths - from Greece to India - describe Virgo as a maiden, virgin, or symbol of purity, innocence, and justice. The ancient Greeks likened her to the daughter of Zeus and the goddess of justice. She lays in the sky next to another zodiac sign, Libra the scales to mark her association with the scales of justice.
The ancient Egyptians thought Virgo represented the great goddess Isis. Isis had an ear of corn in her hand instead of wheat. Isis was the creator of the Milky Way, the band of fuzzy stars that form the heart of our galaxy, when she was up in the sky. One day, Isis was chased by a monster just as she was about to eat some corn. In the chase, she dropped the corn which scattered around the dome of heaven making the Milky Way - or should I say, "The Corny Way."
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| The Milky Way - Rightclick to open in new window |
The Arabs initially included Virgo in a giant Lion constellation and some called it the Barking Dogs, but many groups seem to have changed it to conform with the Greek myths. Virgo is "Al Adhra al Nathifah," the Innocent Maiden.
And in India, the Hindus believe Virgo to be Kanya, the maiden and mother of the great Krishna.
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Experts believe that the structure is ceremonial in nature and would draw crowds to witness celestial events. A "Heel-box" was also erected at the precise place where the Sun would rise from the site on the summer solstice. This display of astronomical knowledge demonstrates an advanced understanding of the heavens, but beyond a calendar what other mysterious uses does Boxhenge serve? Cincinnati Observatory staff will continue to examine the site for more clues... 
Ancient Greeks believed Corona Borealis to be the beautifully jeweled crown given to Ariadne after she was dumped by Theseus. But the formation of stars is so distinct that many other cultures saw different images in this region of the sky. For example the Australian Aborigines thought this constellation was a boomerang flying through the heavens. In a Native American legend it is the cave where the great bear lives. And at different seasons it looks like either a smile or a frown. 
ough, the basket with the women descended again to the ground. They danced. He hopped closer (as a bunny)... but the disguise didn't work. The women jumped back into the basket, pulled the cord, and flew skyward. "Drat," White Hawk said.
The name Alphecca comes from an Arabic word meaning, "Bright one of the Dish." This refers to the Arab vision of this as a dish or bowl. Thus I call it "Corona Bowl-ealis." It's all a matter of perspective.
ry star - meaning it is really two stars revolving around each other.
little to the right of Vindemiatrix with a large telescope and see what you can find. One of the largest galaxies around is called M87 and is located in Virgo. The Hubble Telescope caught this picture of it with a jet of material streaming out. To many astronomers this indicated the presence of a super-massive black hole in the center of M87
As Spring turns to Summer, the constellation Virgo reclines in the south after sunset. Virgo is lying on her back holding an ear of wheat in one hand and a dove of peace in the other. It's difficult to make out her silhouette in the sky - many of the stars are dim, and really don’t look much like a maiden. But her brightest star, Spica (pronounced SPY-ka), makes up for this obscurity. Spica is one of the most beautiful blue stars and easy to locate.
The majority of the cultural myths - from Greece to India - describe Virgo as a maiden, virgin, or symbol of purity, innocence, and justice. The ancient Greeks likened her to the daughter of Zeus and the goddess of justice. She lays in the sky next to another zodiac sign, Libra the scales to mark her association with the scales of justice.
