Generalities: it is a zodiacal constellation mastering  the celestial equator; it has great extension and  contains quite bright stars besides the homonymous cluster of galaxies. The Sun remains there from half September to the end of October. In the Virgo the equinox of autumn (northern) takes place. This constellation transits at midnight in April.

Origins and mythology: there are several traditions concerning this constellation. The first one identifies it with a reaper (from here the name of the brightest star, Spica). According to another interpretation it  represents Ceres, the goddess of the harvest, or Astrea, the goddess of  justice.

Stars: the Virgo has Spica as its brightest star, of magnitude 0. 98, 16th star of the whole sky for brightness. The color of this star is blue and it is  275 light-years far. Other two stars have magnitude inferior to 3 (Vindemiatrix, 2.83 and Porrima 2.75). Other six stars have  magnitude inferior to 4.

Table of stars brighter than magnitude 3.5
 

Star	Proper name	Magnitude	Spectrum	Colour	Distance (light-years)	Notes
Alpha	Spica	0.98	B1	blue	258	Variable between 0.90 and 1.01
Gamma	Porrima	2.75	F0+F0	white-yellow	36	Narrow visual double star
Epsilon	Vindemiatrix	2.83	G9	yellow-orange	104
Zeta	Heze	3.37	A3	white	1100
Delta	Minelauva	3.38	M3	red	147

Other objects: the Virgin is characterized by the presence of a great number of weak galaxies, which constitute the homonymous cluster. The brightest are seven catalogued by Messier and they are M49, M58, M59, M60, M61 M84, M87, M89, M90 and M104, the famous Sombrero Galaxy. A lot of other weak galaxies serve as background to this constellation.

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