Spica - α Virginis (alpha Virginis)
Spica, also designated as α Virginis (alpha Virginis), is a variable and multiple giant star in the constellation of Virgo.
Spica visual magnitude is 0.98, making it the 15th brightest star in the sky. Thanks to its high brightness, Spica is clearly visible when observed from locations with dark skies, and should be also quite easily visible from light polluted areas.
The proper motion of Spica is -0.041 arcsec per year in Right Ascension and -0.028 arcsec per year in Declination and the associated displacement for the next 10000 years is represented with the red arrow.
Key facts about Spica
Spica - α Virginis (alpha Virginis) is above the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom.
Altitude: 22.3°
Azimuth: 211.7°
Direction: South-South-West
Celestial coordinates and finder chart of Spica
Spica is situated close to the celestial equator, as such, it is at least partly visible from both hemispheres in certain times of the year. Celestial coordinates for the J2000 equinox as well as galactic coordinates of Spica are provided in the following table:
The simplified sky map below shows the position of Spica in the sky:
Visibility of Spica from your location
Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London
Today's Spica - α Virginis (alpha Virginis) rise, transit and set times from Greenwich, United Kingdom are the following (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
Distance of Spica from the Sun and relative movement
Spica is distant 262.06 light years from the Sun and it is moving far from the Sun at the speed of 1 kilometers per second.
Spectral properties of Spica
Spica belongs to spectral class B1 and has a luminosity class of III corresponding to a giant star.
The red dot in the diagram below shows where Spica is situated in the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram.
Spica star system properties
Spica is a visual double star which can be observed only with the help of very large telescopes. The table below shows key information about the Spica double sysyem: