Virginids

Lore & Background

The Virginids are a collective term for numerous meteor shower streams that occur within the Virginid Complex, including the Alpha Virginids, Gamma Virginids, Eta Virginids, Theta Virginids, Iota Virginids, Lambda Virginids, Mu Virginids, Pi Virginids, Psi Virginids, and March Virginids. These streams emanate mostly from the constellation Virgo between February and May. The shower normally lasts from late January to mid-April and into early May, peaking in March and April, with one to two meteors per hour on average. The main radiant shifts southeastwards from central Leo in late January to central Virgo near Spica in mid-May.

Reader's Guide

The Virginids are notable as a broad complex of meteor showers that collectively span several months, from late January into early May. The complex includes both major and minor streams, with the Alpha Virginids being one of the more prominent, peaking between April 7 and April 18 with five to ten meteors per hour. The Gamma Virginids are a slow-moving minor stream, with North and South components thought to originate from asteroids 2002 FC and 2003 BD44, respectively. The Mu Virginids peak around April 24 to April 25 with seven to ten meteors per hour, while the Pi Virginids peak between March 3 and March 9 with two to five meteors per hour. The Beta Leonids, lasting from February 14 to April 25 and peaking around March 20 with three to four meteors per hour, were also referred to as the 'March Virginids'. The complex's long duration and multiple streams make it a significant period for meteor observation, though rates are generally low.

Did You Know?

• The Alpha Virginids were first detected in 1895.
• The Gamma Virginids include North and South streams, thought to originate from asteroids 2002 FC and 2003 BD44.
• The Theta Virginids were first observed in 1850 and identified in 1948.