CONSTELLATION OF THE SEASON SPRING: Virgo

The constellation of Virgo, the Virgin is the second largest by area in the entire night sky. It contains a large number of distant galaxies in the northwest part of the constellation, known as the Realm of Galaxies. This is characterised by the southern bounding pattern to this region, which forms a curved asterism known as the Bowl of Virgo – made up of Zavijava (Beta (b)), Zaniah (Eta (η)), Porrima (Gamma (g)), Auva (Delta (d)) and Vindemiatrix (Epsilon (e)). Porrima at the base of the Bowl comprises two similar stars of magnitudes +3.5 and +3.6, and spectral class F0V. They orbit over a 167-year period and, having passed periastron (closest separation) in 2005 when even large scopes had trouble separating them, they now appear further apart. In 2022 their…

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The Astronomer's Yearbook (Digital) - 1 Issue, Astronomer's Yearbook 2022

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