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How big is Spica?

Spica is 10,000,000 kilometers

Introduction: A Twinkling Giant in the Sky

Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered about the stars that shine down on us? One of the brightest stars you might have noticed is Spica. It’s a giant blue star located in the Virgo constellation, and it’s not just any ordinary star. Spica is a binary star, which means it’s actually two stars that orbit around each other so closely that they look like a single star from Earth. But just how big is Spica? Let’s find out.

Size of Spica

To understand the size of Spica, let’s start by comparing it to something we’re all familiar with – our own sun. The primary star of the Spica system is approximately 7.40 times the size of our sun. That’s like stacking seven suns on top of each other! To put that into perspective:

  • If the Sun were the size of a basketball, Spica would be the size of a small car. - If the Sun were as big as a grapefruit, Spica would be as big as a large beach ball.

Spica: A Spectroscopic Binary Star

As mentioned earlier, Spica is a binary star system. This means it’s made up of two stars that orbit around each other. The primary star is a blue giant, and it’s the bigger of the two. The secondary star is slightly smaller. It’s like having two gleaming diamonds in the sky, except one is a bit bigger than the other. What makes Spica even more fascinating is that both stars are so close together they are egg-shaped rather than spherical. Imagine two rugby balls spinning around each other!

Comparing Spica to Other Stars

Just how big is Spica compared to other stars in the sky? Let’s find out:

  • Spica is significantly smaller than Betelgeuse, which is approximately 700 times the size of our sun. - Spica is bigger than Sirius, the brightest star in our night sky, which is only 1.7 times the size of our sun. - Spica is also larger than Vega, another bright star, which is about 2.36 times the size of our sun.

Conclusion

So, next time you gaze up at the night sky, try to spot Spica. Remember, it’s not just a single star, but a pair of stars spinning around each other. And remember its size - more than seven times that of our sun. Isn’t that something to marvel at? Spica truly is a spectacular beacon in our universe.

Smaller By Category
Regulus
Regulus spins so quickly it bulges, just like Altair and Vega. If Regulus were to spin 16% faster, it would rip apart! Regulus is also the brightest star in the constellation Leo. There's also Regulus B & C.
Vega
Vega is found in the Lyra constellation. It is also part of the Summer Triangle, composed of Vega, Altair, and Deneb. Vega spins so quickly it bulges. However, we see it pole-on, so it looks circular.
Altair
Altair is one of the three stars in the Summer Triangle. The Summer Triangle is an acute triangle, which means that all the angles are less than 90°! The other two are Vega and Deneb. Like many other stars, Altair spins very quickly, bulging at the center!
Larger By Category
Capella
Capella is actually a quaternary star- that means four stars orbit in the system! Two stars are G-type giant stars, while the other two are M-type red dwarfs. The largest one is the one you see to the left. The Sun is also a type-G star, but it's a main-sequence one.
Alnitak
Alnitak illuminates the Flame Nebula. Alnitak is also the easternmost star of the three stars that form Orion's belt. The other two are Alnilam and Mintaka, and all three appear very bright from planet Earth.
Arcturus
Arcturus is the third brightest star in the night sky, after Sirius and Canopus. It's the brightest star in the constellation of Boötes. Find it by following the handle of the Big Dipper.