Star profile
Nu Virginis
Variable starWhat is Nu Virginis
Nu Virginis is a red giant on the asymptotic branch, an aged star that has exhausted the hydrogen in its core and is slowly swelling some 294 light-years from Earth. Its surface, far cooler than the Sun's, vibrates in at least four distinct periods —eleven, twelve, sixteen and twenty-four days— like an irregular percussion. It marks the classical western tip of Virgo, almost due south of bright Denebola in Leo.
Where it is and when to see it
Nu 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: the Sun sits at the opposite point of the sky and the star culminates around midnight. How high it climbs above the horizon depends on the latitude you watch from.
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The signature wall
Stelvia's sky works like a signature wall: anyone can leave their name and a message on a real star, and that signature goes up on the map for everyone to read. Signing is free.
A signature without a lock can be replaced by someone else's. The lock makes the signature permanent and lets you choose a symbolic name for the star, always shown next to the star's catalogue identifier. How the lock works
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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 Nu Virginis
- Constellation
- Virgo
- Apparent magnitude
- 4.04
- Distance
- 293.9 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 176.465° · Dec 6.529°
- Catalogue
- HIP 57380 · HD 102212
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
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
- 109 Virginis3.73
- Mu Virginis3.87
- ZaniahEta Virginis3.89
- SyrmaIota Virginis4.07
- Omicron Virginis4.12