Star profile
Porrima
Gamma Virginis · Virgo
Nearby starWhat is Porrima
Porrima, in the constellation Virgo, is a yellow star just 38 light-years from the Earth: a very close neighbour by cosmic standards, almost on the doorstep of the Solar System. It carries the name of one of the ancient Roman Camenae, minor goddesses who sang the future and watched over women in labour during childbirth, a humble yet crucial role in the domestic religion of Rome. Its steady, gentle light has been crossing European spring skies since long before photography had even been invented in its most rudimentary form anywhere.
Where it is and when to see it
Porrima lies in the southern 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 37° above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 48° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 58° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 89° N.
It ranks no. 2 in brightness among the 99 stars of Virgo in our catalogue. To find it, start from Spica, the brightest: it lies about 15° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 38 years ago.
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Astronomical data for Porrima
- Constellation
- Virgo
- Apparent magnitude
- 2.74
- Distance
- 38.1 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 190.415° · Dec -1.449°
- Catalogue
- HIP 61941 · HD 110379
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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
- VindemiatrixEpsilon Virginis2.85
- HezeZeta Virginis3.38
- MinelauvaDelta Virginis3.39
- Gamma Virginis3.52
- ZavijavaBeta Virginis3.59
- 109 Virginis3.73
- Mu Virginis3.87