It lies between Virgo and Hydra and is visible in midnorthern latitudes when it reaches its highest point in the sky in early May. The four principal stars of the constellation are of the third magnitude, the brightest being Gamma Corvi, also called Gienah, a star of magnitude 2.59. This highly luminous star is about 450 light-years from the earth. Al Chiba, unaccountably called Alpha Corvi, is a dim star of less than fourth magnitude in the southern part of the constellation.
