Alpha Crucis vs Alpha Virginis

Alpha Crucis and Alpha Virginis share a spectral class, B-type, and differ elsewhere. Intrinsically the balance shifts: Alpha Crucis carries an absolute magnitude of −4.20 against −3.44 for Alpha Virginis, making it about 2.0 times more luminous once distance is removed from the comparison. Alpha Crucis is the remoter of the pair at 322 light-years, roughly 1.3 times the 250 that separates us from Alpha Virginis.

Property comparison

Property Alpha Crucis Alpha Virginis
Ký Hiệu Alp1Cru 67Alp Vir
Chòm Sao Crux Virgo
Phân Loại Quang Phổ Class B — B-type (Blue-White) Class B — B-type (Blue-White)
Cấp Sao Biểu Kiến +0.77 +0.98
Cấp Sao Tuyệt Đối -4.20 -3.44
Khoảng Cách 322 ly 250 ly
Khối Lượng N/A N/A
Bán Kính N/A N/A
Nhiệt Độ N/A N/A
Độ Sáng N/A N/A

Full data for each star: Alpha Crucis · Alpha Virginis

Key differences

Key Differences

  • ◆ Both are among the brightest stars in the southern sky and both are hot B-type systems.
  • ◆ Acrux is the brightest star in the Southern Cross; Spica is the brightest in Virgo.
  • ◆ Spica is a tidally distorted spectroscopic binary with a 4-day orbital period.
  • ◆ Acrux has components resolvable through a small telescope; Spica's components cannot be resolved visually.
  • ◆ Acrux appears on the national flags of Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Brazil.
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