Virgo (constellation)

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/virgo-constellation

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the celestial coordinates?Right Ascension: 13h 24m; Declination: -1°
2. What is the galactic structure?Contains the Virgo Cluster, a major component of the Virgo Supercluster
3. What does the Virgo constellation look like?Virgo looks like a lady made of bright stars. It is one of the biggest constellations in the sky.
4. Who is the brightest star in Virgo and what makes it special?The brightest star is Spica. It is actually two stars that shine together and sometimes change how bright they look.

Ecliptic: The apparent path of the Sun, Moon, and planets across the celestial sphere.
Spectroscopic Binary: A binary star system whose components can only be detected by their spectral lines.
Intergalactic Medium: The tenuous plasma that fills the space between galaxies in a cluster.