SS Virginis is a semiregular variable star that appears with a strong red hue. It varies in apparent magnitude from a maximum of 6.0 to a minimum of 9.6 over a typical period of 361 days. Max Wolf and Gisela Wolf announced the discovery of this star, from photographs taken at Heidelberg Observatory in 1905. Its spectral class is C6<sub>3</sub>e, indicating that SS Virginis is a carbon star. SS Virginis has a hydrogen-alpha emission line that varies widely, synchronized with the overall variations in light. The line becomes far more prominent as the star becomes brighter. Observations made in the near-infrared spectrum indicate that it has a radius of 500 solar radii, and its temperature is between 2,405 and .
The location of SS Virginis is two degrees north-following of ÷ Virginis.