Tau Virginis

τ Virginis
	Location of τ Virginis (circled)
Observation data; Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000
Constellation	Virgo
Right ascension	14h 01m 38.79341s
Declination	+01° 32′ 40.3145″
Apparent magnitude (V)	4.2777±0.0007
Characteristics
Spectral type	A2IV/V
U−B color index	+0.12
B−V color index	+0.11
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)	−6.7±0.9 km/s
Proper motion (μ)	RA: +17.49 mas/yr ; Dec.: −21.27 mas/yr
Parallax (π)	14.50 ± 0.18 mas
Distance	225 ± 3 ly ; (69.0 ± 0.9 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)	+0.5
Details
Mass	1.96 M☉
Radius	1.6 R☉
Luminosity	70 L☉
Surface gravity (log g)	3.39 cgs
Temperature	8,413±286 K
Metallicity [Fe/H]	−0.19 dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)	186 km/s
Age	724 Myr
Other designations
	τ Vir, 93 Virginis, BD+02°2761, FK5 516, HD 122408, HIP 68520, HR 5264, SAO 120238
Database references
SIMBAD	data

Tau Virginis (τ Vir, τ Virginis) is a single star in the zodiac constellation Virgo. With an apparent visual magnitude of 4.28, 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, which matches the spectrum of an A-type main sequence star mixed with spectral traits of a subgiant. It is about 700 million years old and is spinning rapidly with a projected rotational velocity of 186 km/s. The star has nearly double the mass of the Sun and about 160% of the Sun's radius. It shines with 70 times the luminosity of the Sun and has an effective temperature of 8413 K in its outer atmosphere.

Tau Virginis has multiple visual companions, listed below:

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

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e van Leeuwen, F. (November 2007), "Validation of the new Hipparcos reduction", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 474 (2): 653–664, arXiv:0708.1752, Bibcode:2007A&A...474..653V, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078357, S2CID 18759600.
^ ^a ^b Adelman, S. J. (February 2001). "Research Note Hipparcos photometry: The least variable stars". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 367 (1): 297–298. Bibcode:2001A&A...367..297A. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20000567.
^ ^a ^b Houk, N.; Swift, C. (1999), "Michigan catalogue of two-dimensional spectral types for the HD Stars, Vol. 5", Michigan Spectral Survey, 05, Bibcode:1999MSS...C05....0H
^ ^a ^b Mermilliod, J.-C. (1986), "Compilation of Eggen's UBV data, transformed to UBV (unpublished)", Catalogue of Eggen's UBV Data, SIMBAD, Bibcode:1986EgUBV........0M
^ Gontcharov, G. A. (2006), "Pulkovo Compilation of Radial Velocities for 35 495 Hipparcos stars in a common system", Astronomy Letters, 32 (11): 759–771, arXiv:1606.08053, Bibcode:2006AstL...32..759G, doi:10.1134/S1063773706110065, S2CID 119231169.
^ Blondel, P. F. C.; Djie, H. R. E. Tjin A. (September 2006), "Modeling of PMS Ae/Fe stars using UV spectra" (PDF), Astronomy and Astrophysics, 456 (3): 1045–1068, Bibcode:2006A&A...456.1045B, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20040269.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g David, Trevor J.; Hillenbrand, Lynne A. (2015), "The Ages of Early-Type Stars: Strömgren Photometric Methods Calibrated, Validated, Tested, and Applied to Hosts and Prospective Hosts of Directly Imaged Exoplanets", The Astrophysical Journal, 804 (2): 146, arXiv:1501.03154, Bibcode:2015ApJ...804..146D, doi:10.1088/0004-637X/804/2/146, S2CID 33401607.
^ ^a ^b Pasinetti Fracassini, L. E.; et al. (February 2001), "Catalogue of Apparent Diameters and Absolute Radii of Stars (CADARS) - Third edition - Comments and statistics", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 367 (2): 521–524, arXiv:astro-ph/0012289, Bibcode:2001A&A...367..521P, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20000451, S2CID 425754.
^ ^a ^b McDonald, I.; et al. (2012), "Fundamental Parameters and Infrared Excesses of Hipparcos Stars", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 427 (1): 343–57, arXiv:1208.2037, Bibcode:2012MNRAS.427..343M, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21873.x, S2CID 118665352.
^ Morossi, C.; et al. (September 2002), "Metallicity Determinations from Ultraviolet-Visual Spectrophotometry. I. The Test Sample", The Astrophysical Journal, 577 (1): 377–388, Bibcode:2002ApJ...577..377M, doi:10.1086/342144.
^ ^a ^b Royer, F.; et al. (February 2007), "Rotational velocities of A-type stars. III. Velocity distributions", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 463 (2): 671–682, arXiv:astro-ph/0610785, Bibcode:2007A&A...463..671R, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20065224, S2CID 18475298.
^ "* tau Vir". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2016-09-16.
^ Eggleton, P. P.; Tokovinin, A. A. (September 2008), "A catalogue of multiplicity among bright stellar systems", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 389 (2): 869–879, arXiv:0806.2878, Bibcode:2008MNRAS.389..869E, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.13596.x, S2CID 14878976.
^ Mason, B. D.; et al. (2014), "The Washington Visual Double Star Catalog", The Astronomical Journal, 122 (6): 3466–3471, Bibcode:2001AJ....122.3466M, doi:10.1086/323920, retrieved 2015-07-22.

[vanLeeuwen2007-1] van Leeuwen, F. (November 2007), "Validation of the new Hipparcos reduction", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 474 (2): 653–664, arXiv:0708.1752, Bibcode:2007A&A...474..653V, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078357, S2CID 18759600.

[Adelman2001-2] Adelman, S. J. (February 2001). "Research Note Hipparcos photometry: The least variable stars". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 367 (1): 297–298. Bibcode:2001A&A...367..297A. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20000567.

[Houk1999-3] Houk, N.; Swift, C. (1999), "Michigan catalogue of two-dimensional spectral types for the HD Stars, Vol. 5", Michigan Spectral Survey, 05, Bibcode:1999MSS...C05....0H

[Mermilliod1986-4] Mermilliod, J.-C. (1986), "Compilation of Eggen's UBV data, transformed to UBV (unpublished)", Catalogue of Eggen's UBV Data, SIMBAD, Bibcode:1986EgUBV........0M

[Gontcharov2006-5] Gontcharov, G. A. (2006), "Pulkovo Compilation of Radial Velocities for 35 495 Hipparcos stars in a common system", Astronomy Letters, 32 (11): 759–771, arXiv:1606.08053, Bibcode:2006AstL...32..759G, doi:10.1134/S1063773706110065, S2CID 119231169.

[Blondel2006-6] Blondel, P. F. C.; Djie, H. R. E. Tjin A. (September 2006), "Modeling of PMS Ae/Fe stars using UV spectra" (PDF), Astronomy and Astrophysics, 456 (3): 1045–1068, Bibcode:2006A&A...456.1045B, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20040269.

[David2015-7] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g David, Trevor J.; Hillenbrand, Lynne A. (2015), "The Ages of Early-Type Stars: Strömgren Photometric Methods Calibrated, Validated, Tested, and Applied to Hosts and Prospective Hosts of Directly Imaged Exoplanets", The Astrophysical Journal, 804 (2): 146, arXiv:1501.03154, Bibcode:2015ApJ...804..146D, doi:10.1088/0004-637X/804/2/146, S2CID 33401607.

[cadars-8] Pasinetti Fracassini, L. E.; et al. (February 2001), "Catalogue of Apparent Diameters and Absolute Radii of Stars (CADARS) - Third edition - Comments and statistics", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 367 (2): 521–524, arXiv:astro-ph/0012289, Bibcode:2001A&A...367..521P, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20000451, S2CID 425754.

[Mcdonald2012-9] McDonald, I.; et al. (2012), "Fundamental Parameters and Infrared Excesses of Hipparcos Stars", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 427 (1): 343–57, arXiv:1208.2037, Bibcode:2012MNRAS.427..343M, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21873.x, S2CID 118665352.

[Morossi2002-10] Morossi, C.; et al. (September 2002), "Metallicity Determinations from Ultraviolet-Visual Spectrophotometry. I. The Test Sample", The Astrophysical Journal, 577 (1): 377–388, Bibcode:2002ApJ...577..377M, doi:10.1086/342144.

[Royer2007-11] Royer, F.; et al. (February 2007), "Rotational velocities of A-type stars. III. Velocity distributions", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 463 (2): 671–682, arXiv:astro-ph/0610785, Bibcode:2007A&A...463..671R, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20065224, S2CID 18475298.

[SIMBAD-12] "* tau Vir". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2016-09-16.

[Eggleton2008-13] Eggleton, P. P.; Tokovinin, A. A. (September 2008), "A catalogue of multiplicity among bright stellar systems", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 389 (2): 869–879, arXiv:0806.2878, Bibcode:2008MNRAS.389..869E, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.13596.x, S2CID 14878976.

[WDSC2014-14] Mason, B. D.; et al. (2014), "The Washington Visual Double Star Catalog", The Astronomical Journal, 122 (6): 3466–3471, Bibcode:2001AJ....122.3466M, doi:10.1086/323920, retrieved 2015-07-22.