Tau Virginis

τ Virginis
Location of τ Virginis (circled)
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Virgo
Right ascension 14h 01m 38.79341s[1]
Declination +01° 32′ 40.3145″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) 4.2777±0.0007[2]
Characteristics
Spectral type A2IV/V[3]
U−B color index +0.12[4]
B−V color index +0.11[4]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)−6.7±0.9[5] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: +17.49[1] mas/yr
Dec.: −21.27[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π)14.50 ± 0.18 mas[1]
Distance225 ± 3 ly
(69.0 ± 0.9 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)+0.5[6]
Details
Mass1.96[7] M☉
Radius1.6[8] R☉
Luminosity70[9] L☉
Surface gravity (log g)3.39[7] cgs
Temperature8,413±286[7] K
Metallicity [Fe/H]−0.19[10] dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)186[11] km/s
Age724[7] Myr
Other designations
τ Vir, 93 Virginis, BD+02°2761, FK5 516, HD 122408, HIP 68520, HR 5264, SAO 120238[12]
Database references
SIMBADdata

Tau Virginis (τ Vir, τ Virginis) is a single[13] star in the zodiac constellation Virgo. With an apparent visual magnitude of 4.28,[2] it is faintly visible to the naked eye. The distance to Tau Virginis, based upon parallax measurements, is approximately 225 light years with a margin of error of ±3 light years.

This star has a stellar classification of A2IV/V,[3] which matches the spectrum of an A-type main sequence star mixed with spectral traits of a subgiant. It is about 700[7] million years old and is spinning rapidly with a projected rotational velocity of 186 km/s.[11] The star has nearly double[7] the mass of the Sun and about 160% of the Sun's radius.[8] It shines with 70[9] times the luminosity of the Sun and has an effective temperature of 8413 K in its outer atmosphere.[7]

Tau Virginis has multiple visual companions, listed below:[14]

Companion Visual
Magnitude 		Angular
Separation 		Position
Angle 		Year
Measured
B 9.41 82.70″ 287° 2012
C 13.10 176.70″ 353° 2000
D 9.68 342.70″ 85° 2012
E 12.00 14.6″ 175° 2009
  1. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference vanLeeuwen2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Adelman2001 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Houk1999 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Mermilliod1986 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Gontcharov2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Blondel2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Cite error: The named reference David2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference cadars was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Mcdonald2012 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference Morossi2002 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Royer2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference SIMBAD was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference Eggleton2008 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference WDSC2014 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).