Spica


The object was found in the following catalogues:
  1. The Bright Star Catalogue, 5th Revised Ed. (Preliminary Version)

  2. SKY2000 - Master Star Catalog

  3. Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Star Catalog

  4. The Washington Visual Double Star Catalog, 1996.0

  5. Combined General Catalogue of Variable Stars (Vol. I-III)


catalogues and names Spica, a Vir, alf Vir, 67 Vir, HR 5056, HD 116658, SAO 157923, FK5: 498, WDS 13252-1110
other names Azimech, Spica Virginis, Alaraph
constellation Virgo

data from The Bright Star Catalogue, 5th Revised Ed. (Preliminary Version) (Hoffleit+, 1991)

note (category: star names): SPICA; Azimech; Spica Virginis; Alaraph, a name also given HR 4540, 4932.

object is infrared source (NASA merged infrared catalogue, Schmitz et al., 1978)

position, motion, parallax:

position (J2000) RA: 13h 25min 11,6sec DEC: -11° 9' 41''
position (J1900) RA: 13h 19min 55,4sec DEC: -10° 38' 22''
proper motion (J2000) RA: -0,041 arcsec/a DEC: -0,028 arcsec/a
radial velocity 1 km/s
note: spectroscopic binaries, double lined spectra
note: orbital data avaible
rotational velocity 159 km/s (uncertain) (variable)
trigonometric parallax 0,023 arcsec

magnitude

visual magnitude 0,98
(V on UBV Johnson system)

spectral / color information

spectral class B1III-IV+B2V
B-V-magnitude -0,23
U-B-magnitude -0,93
R-I-magnitude -0,24
note (category: spectra): Also variously classified B2V+B2V, B1.5IV-V+B3V, B1V+B3V. Rocket observations show hydrogen lines Lyman alpha through Zeta.
note (category: colors): Color excess E(B-V) = +0.03.

variability information

variable star identification Alp Vir
note (category: variability): Ell (Beta C) 0.97 - 1.04V, 4.01454d, and Beta C, 0.1737853d. Period changes.

double/multiple star system information

number of components of multiple star system 5
separation 0 arcsec
mag difference (of double or brightest multiple) 1,5
component ID O
note Worley (1978) update of the IDS
note (category: double and multiple data): Interferometer indicates visual component A is multiple system. Occultations yield three companions: 3.1v at 0.0025", 4.5 at 0.05" and 7.5 at 0.5". Combined mag. and colors. Visual component B, 12.0v at 148".
note (category: spectroscopic binaries): 4.0145d, K 120k/s, V0 0k/s, msin3i 7.16, asini 6.52. Rotation apsides 130 yrs. Rotational velocity 190k/s. vsini secondary 102k/s.

miscellaneous information

note (category: stellar radii or diameters): Diam. = 0.00085 - 0.00087".

data from SKY2000 - Master Star Catalog (Myers+ 1997)

position, motion, parallax:

position (J2000) RA: 13h 25min 11,587sec DEC: -11° 9' 40,71'' ±0,06 arcsec source: 15
proper motion (J2000) RA: -0,0028 arcsec/a DEC: -0,028 arcsec/a source: 25
radial velocity 1 km/s source: 25
trigonometric parallax 0,023 ±0,002 arcsec source: 25
galactic coord. (B1950) longitude: 316,13° latitude: 50,84°
GCI unit vector (J2000) X: -0,91408 Y: -0,356353 Z: -0,193572

magnitude:

visual 0,9 (observed) source: 31
photovisual 1,2 source: 2
photographic 1 source: 2

spectral information:

spectral class B2 source: 29
Morgan-Keenan B1III-IV+B2V source: 25
B-magnitude 0,75 ±0,05 B-V-magnitude -0,23
U-magnitude -0,18 ±0,05 U-B-magnitude -0,93

variability information:

source of data: 30
variability type 10
var. amplitude 0,1
var. period 4,01
var. epoch 2419530
7. May 1912, 12:00:00 UT
next max light 2451622,03
18. March 2000, 12:43:12 UT

double/multiple star system information:

source of data: 19
separation between brightest and second brightest component 147,9 arcsec
magnitude difference between brightest and second brightest component 11
position angle 32 °

sources:

2 HD and HDE Catalogs
Cannon, A.J., and E.C. Pickering, Harvard Annals, Vols 91-99, 1918-24, Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University; Cannon, A.J., Harvard Annals, Vol. 100, 1925-36, Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University; and Cannon, A.J., and M. Walton Mayall, Harvard Annals, Vol. 112, 1949, Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University
15 FK5, FK5 Extension and FK5 Supplement
Fricke, W., H. Schwan and T. Lederle, "Fifth Fundamental Catalogue (FK5), Part I. The Basic Fundamental Stars," Veroff. Astronomisches Recheninstitut, No. 32, Heidelberg, Germany, 1988, and Fricke, W., H. Schwan, and T.E. Corbin, "Fifth Fundamental Catalogue (FK5), Part II. The FK5 Extension," Veröff. Astronomisches Recheninstitut, No. 33, Heidelberg, Germany, 1991
19 WDS Catalog
Worley, C.E., and G.G. Douglass, Washington Catalog of Visual Double Stars 1996.0, United States Naval Observatory, 1996
25 Bright Star Catalogue, 5th edition
Hoffleit, D. and Warren, W.H. Jr., The Bright Star Catalogue, 5th Revised Edition, Version 2, 1994
29 SAOJ2000
SAO on FK5 at J2000, 1989
30 GCVS, 4th edition
Kholopov, P.N., et al., General Catalogue of Variable Stars, fourth edition, Moscow: Nauka Publishing House, 1985-88
31 CRM' (non-GCVS variable data)
Warren, W.H. Jr., Northern Hemisphere Catalog of Red Magnitudes, 1994

data from Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Star Catalog (SAO Staff 1966; USNO, ADC 1990)

position and proper motion:

position (J1950) RA: 13h 22min 33,301sec DEC: -10° 54' 3,36'' ±0,003 arcsec
position (J2000) RA: 13h 25min 11,601sec DEC: -11° 9' 40,64''
proper motion J1950 (FK4) RA: -0,0029 arcsec/a DEC: -0,033 arcsec/a ±0,001 arcsec/a in RA
±0,001 arcsec/a in DEC
proper motion J2000 (FK5) RA: -0,0026 arcsec/a DEC: -0,027 arcsec/a
source of proper motion data Determined by source catalog

magnitude:

visual 1,2 (accuracy: 2 decimals)
source of visual magnitude data Taken from the "Henry Draper Catalogue".

spectral information:

spectral class B2
source of spectral data Taken from the Henry Draper Catalogue or no spectrum in source catalog.

catalogues

source catalogue FK4, catalogue number: 498
Durchmusterung BD-10 3672
Boss General Catalogue 18144
Henry Draper Catalogue 116658

data from The Washington Visual Double Star Catalog, 1996.0 (Worley+, 1996)

position and proper motion:

position (J2000) RA: 13h 25,2min DEC: -11° 10'
proper motion (J2000) RA: -0,041 arcsec/a DEC: -0,028 arcsec/a

double/multiple star system information:

component year number of measures position angle angular separation magnitude of 1st component magnitude of 2nd component spectral class(es) discoverer code
- 1879 2 33° 144,4'' 0,98 12 - BUP 150
1909 32° 147,9''
AC 1879 1 62° 359,8'' 0,98 10,5 - BUP 150

discoverer information:

discoverer code discoverer reference
BUP 150 - -

notes:

note Alpha Vir. A is an Alpha CVn-type variable and a spectroscopic binary, spectrum B1III-IV+B2V. It has been resolved by intensity interferometry.

data from Combined General Catalogue of Variable Stars (Vol. I-III) (Kholopov+ 1998)

position:

position (J1950) RA: 13h 22min 33,3sec DEC: -10° 54' 3''

variability informations:

variability type ELL+BCEP rotating variable star
pulsating variable star
magnitute at max. brightness 0,95
magnitute amplitude 0,1
photometric system visual, photovisual or Johnson's V
epoch for maximum light [JD] 2419530,49
7. May 1912, 23:45:36 UT
period [d] 4,014604
next maximum light [JD] 2451623,234376
19. March 2000, 17:37:30 UT

spectral information

spectral class B1III-IV+B2V

references

to a study Vol. I GCVS (see Kholopov et al. 1985-1988)
to a chart/photograph no chart is avaible, but the star is contained in the 'Bonner Durchmusterung'

miscanellous

ID in the GCVS catalogue 86/9001
constellation Virgo
notes on existence The star is equivalent to '0869017 rho'.
There are notes in published catalog.

variability type description

variability type description
ELL Rotating ellipsoidal variables (b Per, Alpha Vir). These are close binary systems with ellipsoidal components, which change combined brightnesses with periods equal to those of orbital motion because of changes in emitting areas toward an observer, but showing no eclipses. Light amplitudes do not exceed 0.1 mag in V.
BCEP Variables of the Beta Cephei type (Beta Cep, Beta CMa), which are pulsating O8-B6 I-V stars with periods of light and radial-velocity variations in the range of 0.1 - 0.6 days and light amplitudes from 0.01 to 0.3 mag in V. The light curves are similar in shape to average radial-velocity curves but lag in phase by a quarter of the period, so that maximum brightness corresponds to
maximum contraction, i.e., to minimum stellar radius. The majority of these stars probably show radial pulsations, but some (V649 Per) display nonradial pulsations; multiperiodicity is characteristic of many of these stars.