Star profile
Xi Virginis
What is Xi Virginis
Xi Virginis is a white main-sequence star 122 light-years away, still young — about 480 million years old — and spinning rapidly at 130 kilometres per second at its equator. It shines with nearly thirteen solar luminosities at 8,000 kelvin, deep in the body of the Maiden, far from the throne of Spica. Its quick spin flattens it slightly at the poles, an imperfection invisible to the eye yet measurable in its spectrum.
Where it is and when to see it
Xi Virginis lies in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is March, when it culminates around midnight.
- From London it culminates about 47° above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 58° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 48° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere north of 82° S.
It ranks no. 27 in brightness among the 99 stars of Virgo in our catalogue. To find it, start from Spica, the brightest: it lies about 32° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 120 years ago.
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A public signature from a real person. The chosen name is a symbolic denomination within Stelvia, with no official standing or IAU recognition: the sky is not for sale and belongs to no one.
Astronomical data for Xi Virginis
- Constellation
- Virgo
- Apparent magnitude
- 4.84
- Distance
- 122.0 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 176.321° · Dec 8.258°
- Catalogue
- HIP 57328 · HD 102124
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Other stars in Virgo
Virgo has 99 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- SpicaAlpha Virginis0.98
- PorrimaGamma Virginis2.74
- VindemiatrixEpsilon Virginis2.85
- Psi Virginis4.77
- Sigma Virginis4.78
- ElgafarPhi Virginis4.81
- Rho Virginis4.88
- 78 Virginis4.92