When is the best time to observe Zavijava?

Zavijava is best observed from February through April, with peak visibility during March when it transits around midnight in the Northern Hemisphere.

Where is Zavijava located in the sky?

Zavijava lies in the constellation Virgo at right ascension 11h 51m and declination +01° 46′.

What telescope do I need to see Zavijava?

At magnitude 3.6, Zavijava is visible to the naked eye from dark skies, easy in any binoculars.

Zavijava — Star in Virgo

HIP 57757; Beta Virginis; 5 Virginis

Magnitude 3.6^m Star Virgo (Vir) Visible

Star Map + List + Plan

About Zavijava

Description

Zavijava, Beta Virginis, is an F9V subgiant only 35.7 light-years from Earth — another very nearby solar-type star. At 1.4 Suns' mass and 3.5 Suns' luminosity, it is slightly older and more evolved than the Sun but very similar in spectrum. It shines at magnitude 3.61 and sits just below the celestial equator at the western edge of Virgo. Zavijava has been a favorite "solar analog" star for stellar astrophysics for over a century.

Observing Tips

Zavijava marks the western end of Virgo, just east of the Lion's tail. It is an easy naked-eye star and a lovely pale-yellow point in any small telescope. Zavijava is near the ecliptic, so the Moon and planets pass close by regularly; spectacular occultations by the Moon happen several times per year. Best observed January through August.

History

The traditional name Zavijava derives from the Arabic "al-zāwiyat al-'awwā'," meaning "the corner of the barker," a reference to dogs in pre-Islamic astronomy. The spectrum was famously photographed by Erwin Finlay-Freundlich at Cambridge during the 1922 total solar eclipse expedition to compare Zavijava's starlight deflection against the Sun's gravitational field — a successful confirmation of Einstein's general relativity.

Fun Facts

Zavijava was the primary comparison star used in Eddington's famous 1919 eclipse expedition to Principe and in the 1922 follow-up — its starlight deflected by the Sun's gravity was one of the key measurements that verified general relativity. Spectroscopically, Zavijava's composition is so similar to the Sun's that it is still routinely used to calibrate stellar-atmosphere models. The star likely hosts no hot Jupiter, but a distant low-mass companion remains possible.