Spica: how to find it and when to see it
Spica ranks 15th of the 74 bright stars on our list, at magnitude 0.98, in the constellation Virgo.
You can see it from anywhere south of 79° N, and it's highest in the evening sky in May.
Spica at a glance
- Constellation
- Virgo
- Magnitude
- 0.98
- Rank on our list
- 15 of 74
- Hemisphere
- Southern
- Right ascension
- 13 h 25 min
- Declination
- 11.2° south
- Visible from
- south of 79° N
- Never sets
- south of 79° S
- Best evening
- May 28
- Name from
- Latin
Where Spica is in the sky
Spica sits 11.2° south of the celestial equator, the line in the sky directly above Earth's equator, so it's in the southern half of the sky. Its right ascension is 13 h 25 min.
Right ascension works like longitude on the sky. It's counted in hours, and about one hour of it turns past you each hour of the night.
When and where to see Spica
From the northern hemisphere
From 40° N, the latitude of New York, Madrid and Beijing, Spica rises in the east, climbs to 39° above the horizon in the south and sets in the west.
It's in the evening sky from April to July, and it's highest in the evening around May 28, in spring.
From the southern hemisphere
From 34° S, the latitude of Sydney, Cape Town and Buenos Aires, Spica rises in the east, climbs to 67° above the horizon in the north and sets in the west.
It's in the evening sky from March to August, and it's highest in the evening around May 28, in fall.
How high Spica climbs from each latitude
The evening is about 9 pm local time, or 10 pm during daylight saving time, and later when the sky is still too bright. A star counts as in the evening sky when it's at least 10° above the horizon.
| Latitude | Visibility | Highest point | Evening sky |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60° N | Rises and sets | 19° in the south | Apr to May |
| 50° N | Rises and sets | 29° in the south | Apr to Jul |
| 40° N | Rises and sets | 39° in the south | Apr to Jul |
| 30° N | Rises and sets | 49° in the south | Apr to Jul |
| 20° N | Rises and sets | 59° in the south | Mar to Jul |
| Equator | Rises and sets | 79° in the south | Mar to Aug |
| 20° S | Rises and sets | 81° in the north | Mar to Aug |
| 34° S | Rises and sets | 67° in the north | Mar to Aug |
| 45° S | Rises and sets | 56° in the north | Mar to Aug |
What the name Spica means
Spica is Latin for ear of grain. It marks the ear of wheat that Virgo holds.
Keep the sky of a night that matters
Our star maps show the stars above any place, at the minute you choose, with the constellation lines drawn in. If Spica was above the horizon that night, it's on your map, and we print it on museum-grade paper.
Questions about Spica
Spica is in Virgo. It sits 11.2° south of the celestial equator, at a right ascension of 13 h 25 min.
Spica is highest in the evening sky around May 28. That's spring in the northern hemisphere and fall in the southern hemisphere.
Yes, from anywhere south of 79° N. From 40° N, it climbs to 39° above the horizon in the south.
Spica has a magnitude of 0.98, which ranks it 15th of the 74 bright stars on our list. Sirius looks about 9.3 times brighter.
Spica is Latin for ear of grain. It marks the ear of wheat that Virgo holds.