description 61 Virginis c Overview
61 Virginis c is a radial-velocity planet orbiting the nearby Sun-like star 61 Virginis, about 28 light-years from Earth. It completes an orbit in roughly 38 days and has a minimum mass near 18 to 19 Earth masses, so it is more accurately described as a Neptune-mass planet than as a small rocky super-Earth. It is one of three known planets in the 61 Virginis system.
help 61 Virginis c FAQ
How was 61 Virginis c detected?
61 Virginis c was found through precise radial-velocity observations rather than a transit. The three-planet system around 61 Virginis was announced in 2009 from observations involving the Keck Observatory and the Anglo-Australian Telescope. [NASA Exoplanet Archive](https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/overview/61%20Vir)
How long is a year on 61 Virginis c?
61 Virginis c takes about 38.02 days to orbit its star at roughly 0.2175 astronomical units. That places it between the inner planet b and the outer planet d in the known system. [NASA Exoplanet Archive](https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/overview/61%20Vir)
Is 61 Virginis c closer to Earth or Neptune in mass?
Its minimum mass is about 18.2 Earth masses, so it is generally described as a Neptune-mass or Neptune-like planet. Because the detection used radial velocity, 18.2 Earth masses is a lower limit unless the orbital inclination is known. [NASA Science](https://science.nasa.gov/exoplanet-catalog/61-virginis-c/)
What other planets orbit 61 Virginis?
The system also contains 61 Virginis b, with a 4.22-day orbit, and 61 Virginis d, with an orbit of about 123 days. The host star is a nearby G-type star roughly 28 light-years from Earth. [NASA Exoplanet Archive](https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/overview/61%20Vir)
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