Vindemiatrix (stars.astro.illinois.edu)

author

Jim Kaler

excerpt

VINDEMIATRIX (Epsilon Virginis). Just over the line into third magnitude (2.83) and third brightest in the constellation Virgo following first magnitude Spica (the Alpha star) and Porrima (Gamma), Vindemiatrix still wound up with Bayer’s Epsilon designation.

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snippet

The name is a somewhat corrupted feminized Latin form for the original Greek name that meant “the Grape Gatherer,” as the first visibility of the star in morning light after the Sun cleared out of the way (the “heliacal rising”) told that it was time to pick the grapes.

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Vindemiatrix

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STARS by Jim Kaler
website

website

http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/vindemiatrix.html