Porrima is a famous double star in Virgo, two nearly identical yellow-white stars in a long, highly elongated orbit around each other.
At a glance
| type | yellow-white star (class F) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 38.1 light-years (11.7 pc) |
| its light left it | 38.1 years ago |
| luminosity | 9.68 × the Sun |
| radius | 1.94 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 7,300 K |
| constellation | Virgo (Maiden) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Porrima
Porrima is a yellow-white star of class F, larger and hotter than the Sun. In a telescope it becomes two stars of almost equal brightness, a matched pair circling each other on a very elongated orbit. When they swing far apart a small telescope splits them easily; when they pass close they merge, and for a time only the largest instruments could separate them.
Its name is that of a Roman goddess of prophecy. Porrima lies near the ecliptic and close to the Sun, one of the nearer bright stars of Virgo.
What you see in the piece
Porrima lies much closer than most of Virgo, so in the piece it barely dims as you leave the Sun, while Spica and Zaniah fall far behind it.
Measured or modelled
The card describes Porrima as one star; the values are a blend of two near-twins.
Questions
Is Porrima a double star?
Yes. It is a pair of nearly identical stars in a long, elongated orbit; how easily a telescope splits them depends on where they are in that orbit.
How far away is Porrima?
Porrima is 38.1 light-years (11.7 pc) from the Sun.