1. VIRGO Michelle McNett Period 1

2. VIRGO  The Big Dipper is a part of Ursa Major, the Diamond of Virgo connects Virgo to Coma Berenices, Canes Venatici, and Bootes. The Sail is Corvus, the Sickle is a part of Leo, and Asses and the Manger is a part of Cancer.

3. LOCATION OF VIRGO  Right Ascension: 13 hours  Declination: 0 degrees  1,294 square degrees  Second largest constellation overall  Leo is to the West and Libra is to the East.

4. WHEN IS VIRGO VISIBLE  The constellation Virgo is visible in the Norther Hemisphere during spring.  Virgo, or the maiden, contains Spica as one of its stars. Spica is 260 light years away from Earth and is 100 times brighter than the sun. Scientist believe Spica is actually two stars that are orbiting each other very closely.

5. GREEK/ROMAN MYTHOLOGY ON VIRGO  Virgo Is the maiden of crops, vegetation, fertility and harvest. She had a daughter, Persephone, who was kidnapped by Hades. The mother, Demeter, retaliated by stopping growth of all plants. Since the daughter ate food while with Hades she has to stay with Hades 3 months of the year (winter) and then her mother for the other nine months.

6. GREEK AND MYTHOLOGY CONTINUED  The second myth associated the constellation Virgo with Astraea, goddess of Justice, when the gods lived among men on earth during the golden age. The increasing iniquity of the humans, however, began to drive the gods, one by one, to leave the humans on earth and go to Heaven. Astraea was the last of gods to leave. When she left she took the scales of justice with her, which you can see beside her in the sky today.

7. UNUSUAL FACTS  Lucky colors : Orange, white, grey, yellow and mushroom.  Lucky Numbers : 5, 14, 23, 32, 41, and 50.  Virgo is the largest zodiac constellation and the second largest constellation in the sky.

8. CITED PAGE  http://www.space.com/17021-virgo-constellation.html http://www.space.com/17021-virgo-constellation.html  http://earthsky.org/constellations/virgo-heres-your- constellation#how http://earthsky.org/constellations/virgo-heres-your- constellation#how  http://www.gods-and-monsters.com/virgo-myth.html http://www.gods-and-monsters.com/virgo-myth.html  http://www.wwu.edu/skywise/greekmyth.html http://www.wwu.edu/skywise/greekmyth.html  http://www.tcoe.org/scicon/instructionalguide/constellations.pdf http://www.tcoe.org/scicon/instructionalguide/constellations.pdf  http://www.brighthub.com/science/space/articles/27747.aspx http://www.brighthub.com/science/space/articles/27747.aspx