Star profile

53 Virginis

3D likeness based on its real data · class F · ~6,500 K

What is 53 Virginis

53 Virginis is a white F-type star about 110 light-years away, set in the body of the Maiden, far from the great galaxy cluster that dominates the region. Hotter and faster-burning than the Sun, its light left around 1916, deep in the First World War. It sits right at the edge of unaided sight under a clean sky, with nothing flashy nearby —easy to overlook among showier neighbours.

Where it is and when to see it

53 Virginis lies in the southern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is April, when it culminates around midnight.

From London it culminates about 22° above the horizon.
From New York it culminates about 33° above the horizon.
From Sydney it culminates about 72° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere south of 74° N.

It ranks no. 36 in brightness among the 99 stars of Virgo in our catalogue. To find it, start from Spica, the brightest: it lies about 6° 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 53 Virginis

Constellation: Virgo
Apparent magnitude: 5.04
Distance: 110.6 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 198.015° · Dec -16.199°
Catalogue: HIP 64407 · HD 114642

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Other stars in Virgo

Virgo has 99 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.

See all 99 stars in Virgo