Star profile
Vindemiatrix
Epsilon Virginis · Virgo
What is Vindemiatrix
Vindemiatrix means 'the grape-gatherer' in Latin: the Romans used her as an agricultural clock, for her dawn rising announced the moment to harvest the vineyards. She is a yellow G-class giant at 109 light-years, evolved and serene. Few stars preserve a name so bound to the cycle of seasons, a trace of the era when looking up was reading a calendar.
Where it is and when to see it
Vindemiatrix 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 49° above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 60° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 45° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere north of 79° S.
It ranks no. 3 in brightness among the 99 stars of Virgo in our catalogue. To find it, start from Spica, the brightest: it lies about 23° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 110 years ago.
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Astronomical data for Vindemiatrix
- Constellation
- Virgo
- Apparent magnitude
- 2.85
- Distance
- 109.6 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 195.544° · Dec 10.959°
- Catalogue
- HIP 63608 · HD 113226
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
- HezeZeta Virginis3.38
- MinelauvaDelta Virginis3.39
- Gamma Virginis3.52
- ZavijavaBeta Virginis3.59
- 109 Virginis3.73
- Mu Virginis3.87