16 Virginis is a single[9] star in the zodiac constellation of Virgo, located about 308[1] light years from the Sun. It has the Bayer designation c Virginis; 16 Virginis is the Flamsteed designation. This object is visible to the naked eye as a faint, orange-hued star with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.96.[2] This is an IAU radial velocity standard star;[10] it is moving further from the Earth with a heliocentric radial velocity of +37 km/s.[4] The star has a relatively high proper motion, traversing the celestial sphere at an angular rate of 0.301″ per year.[11]
| Observation data Epoch J2000.0 Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS) | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Right ascension | 12h 20m 20.98133s[1] |
| Declination | +03° 18′ 45.2604″[1] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 4.96[2] |
| Characteristics | |
| Spectral type | K0.5 IIIb Fe−0.5[3] |
| B−V color index | 1.16[2] |
| Astrometry | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | +36.66±0.17[4] km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: −292.95[1] mas/yr Dec.: −63.58[1] mas/yr |
| Parallax (π) | 10.59 ± 0.25 mas[1] |
| Distance | 308 ± 7 ly (94 ± 2 pc) |
| Absolute magnitude (MV) | 0.26[5] |
| Details | |
| Mass | 1.62[2] M☉ |
| Radius | 18[6] R☉ |
| Luminosity | 131.8[2] L☉ |
| Surface gravity (log g) | 2.20[7] cgs |
| Temperature | 4,423±32[2] K |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | −0.33[7] dex |
| Age | 3.22[2] Gyr |
| Other designations | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
In Chinese astronomy, 16 Virginis is called 謁者, Pinyin: Yèzhě, meaning Usher to the Court, because this star is marking itself and stand alone in Usher to the Court asterism, Supreme Palace enclosure mansion (see : Chinese constellation).[12]
This is an evolved K-type giant star with a stellar classification of K0.5 IIIb Fe−0.5,[3] where the suffix notation denotes a mild underabundance of iron in the spectrum. It is a red clump giant, which indicates is on the horizontal branch generating energy via helium fusion at its core.[13] The interferometry-measured angular diameter of this star, after correcting for limb darkening, is 1.74±0.02 mas,[14] which, at its estimated distance, equates to a physical radius of about 18 times the radius of the Sun.[6] It is about three[2] billion years old with 1.62[2] times the mass of the Sun and is radiating 132[2] times the Sun's luminosity from its enlarged photosphere at an effective temperature of 4,423 K.[2]
References
Horizontal-branch stars