Spica
Spica, brightest star in the zodiacal constellation Virgo and one of the 15 brightest in the entire sky, having an apparent visual magnitude of 1.04. It is a bluish star; spectroscopic examination reveals Spica to be a binary with a four-day period, its two components being of the first and third magnitudes, respectively. Spica lies about 250 light-years from Earth.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Erik Gregersen.
Citation Information
Article Title:
Spica
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
18 September 2026
Access Date:
November 14, 2026