NOTABLE STARS A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z                    HOME ABOUT CATEGORIES SITE MAP COPYRIGHT ADVERTISE CONTACT entire Web this site Zaniah (Eta Virginis) This image of the triple star system Eta Virginis is the first ever made by an optical interferometer using the combined beams of 6 separate telescopes. The closer pair of stars have an angular separation of about 5.4 milliarcseconds, equivalent to the size of a US cent coin viewed from a distance of 800 km (500 miles). This level of detail would require a single monolithic telescope mirror in excess of 50 meters in diameter. Credit: U.S. Naval Observatory A triple star system in the constellation Virgo which, in 2002, became the first object to be imaged by combining the light from multiple telescopes (the Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer), a major breakthrough in optical interferometry. The high-resolution image, which would have required a single instrument with a 50-meter aperture, showed the three components of the system as separate entities for the first time. Zaniah, also known as Zannakh, consists of three A stars: a very close pair separated by just a few milliarcseconds (equivalent to less than half the Earth-Sun distance), and a third component about 0.06" away. Visual magnitude 3.89 Absolute magnitude -0.53 Spectral type A2IV Luminosity 130 Lsun Distance 250 ± 16 light-years (77 ± 5 pc) Position R.A. 12h 19m 54.4s, Dec. -00° 40' 01" Other designations 15 Virginis, HR 4689, HD 107259, BD+00 2926, FK5 460, HIP 60129, SAO 138721, GC 16813, CCDM 12199-0040 Related category    • NOTABLE STARS Also on this site: Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy & Sustainable Living Encyclopedia of History Transport Concepts & Designs (partner site) BACK TO TOP