Spica

Also known as Alpha Virginis, 67 Virginis, α Virginis, alf Vir, 67 Vir, α Vir, MCW 553, SACS 290

Spica is the brightest object in the constellation of Virgo and one of the 20 brightest stars in the night sky. It has the Bayer designation α Virginis, which is Latinised to Alpha Virginis and abbreviated Alpha Vir or α Vir. Analysis of its parallax shows that it is located 250 light-years from the Sun. It is a spectroscopic binary star and rotating ellipsoidal variable; a system whose two stars are so close together they are egg-shaped rather than spherical, and can only be separated by their spectra. The primary is a blue giant and a variable star of the Beta Cephei type.

AI overview

Spica is the brightest star in the constellation Virgo and ranks among the 20 brightest stars visible from Earth, located about 250 light-years away. It's actually a pair of stars so close together that they distort each other into egg shapes and can only be distinguished by analyzing their light spectra, with the primary star being a blue giant that varies in brightness.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Distance from Earth: 93
Radius: 7.4
Image: Virgo constellation map.png

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Commons category: Spica
spectral class: B1IIISB
catalog code: BD-10 3672
parallax: 13.06
apparent magnitude: 1.64
right ascension: 201.298247362
declination: -11.161319485
stellar rotational velocity: 130
radial velocity: -3.31
effective temperature: 3
right ascension component of proper motion: -40
declination component of proper motion: -35
age estimated by a dating method: 12.5
surface gravity: 3000

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Contents

Nomenclature
Observational history
Observation
Physical properties
See also
References

Spica, along with Arcturus and Denebola—or Regulus, depending on the source—forms the Spring Triangle asterism, and, by extension, is also part of the Great Diamond together with the star Cor Caroli.