Rho Virginis

Rho Virginis (ρ Vir, ρ Virginis) is the Bayer designation for a star in the constellation Virgo. It has an apparent visual magnitude of +4.9,^[2] making it a challenge to view with the naked eye from an urban area (according to the Bortle Dark-Sky Scale). The distance to this star has been measured directly using the parallax method, which places it 118.3 light-years (36.3 parsecs) away with a margin of error of about a light year.^[1]

ρ Virginis

Location of ρ Virginis (circled)
Observation data Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0
Constellation	Virgo
Right ascension	12h 41m 53.05658s[1]
Declination	+10° 14′ 51.1699″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V)	+4.88[2]
Characteristics
Spectral type	A0 V[3]
U−B color index	+0.03[4]
B−V color index	+0.09[4]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)	+1.6[2] km/s
Proper motion (μ)	RA: +82.67[1] mas/yr Dec.: –89.08[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π)	27.57±0.21 mas[1]
Distance	118.3 ± 0.9 ly (36.3 ± 0.3 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)	+1.90±0.28[5]
Details
Mass	2.0[6] M☉
Radius	1.6[6] R☉
Luminosity	14[6] L☉
Surface gravity (log g)	4.36[7] cgs
Temperature	8,930[6] K
Metallicity [Fe/H]	–1.00[7] dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)	154[8] km/s
Other designations
30 Virginis, BD+11°2485, FK5 1326, HD 110411, HIP 61960, HR 4828, SAO 100211
Database references
SIMBAD	data

Rho Virginis is an A-type main sequence star with a stellar classification of A0 V.^[3] It is larger than the Sun with a radius 60%^[6] larger and about twice the mass. As such it is generating energy at a higher rate than the Sun, with a luminosity 14^[6] times greater. The outer atmosphere has an effective temperature of 8,930 K,^[6] which is what gives it the white-hued glow of an A-type star. It is classified as a Delta Scuti type variable star and its brightness varies by 0.02 magnitudes over periods of 0.5 to 2.4 hours.

This star has been established as a Lambda Boötis star that displays low abundances of iron peak elements. It displays an excess of infrared emission, but it is unclear whether this is being caused by a circumstellar debris disk or from the star passing through and heating up a diffuse interstellar dust cloud. Most likely it is the former,^[6] in which case the dusty disk has a radius of around 37 AU and a mean temperature of 90 K.^[9]