Starwatch: Spica greets the passing moon

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"Spica and the Moon Align in the Night Sky This Week"

Starwatch: Spica greets the passing moon analysis cover image The Guardian 9.5
Image Source: https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/bb3c790526e3b9d224ed8c96505ff543ce3bad1f/122_15_752_602/master/752.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctZGVmYXVsdC5wbmc&enable=upscale&s=d3a8685d41babd6d675df5e2402ce16a
Original Article Source: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/jun/30/starwatch-spica-greets-the-passing-moon
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TruthLens AI Summary

This week, the bright star Spica will be visible alongside the waxing moon, providing a stunning celestial display for skywatchers. Observers looking south-west from London at 22:15 BST on July 3, 2025, will witness the moon at 8.3 days old, with 60% of its surface illuminated. At this stage, the moon has just transitioned past its first quarter phase and is moving into the waxing gibbous phase, heading towards full illumination in the following week. The sight of the moon and Spica together offers a unique opportunity for astronomy enthusiasts to appreciate the beauty of the night sky.

Spica, known as the brightest star in the constellation Virgo, is the 15th brightest star visible from Earth and is located approximately 250 light-years away. While it appears as a singular point of light, Spica is actually a binary star system composed of two massive stars that orbit each other every four days. One of these stars has a diameter nearly eight times that of the sun, while the other is about four times the sun's size. Together, they emit more than 12,000 times the light of our sun. For observers in the southern hemisphere, this conjunction of Spica and the moon will appear higher in the sky, making it slightly easier to view, enhancing the overall experience for stargazers in that region.

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Source URL: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/jun/30/starwatch-spica-greets-the-passing-moon

This week, the bright star Spica greets the passing moon. The chart shows the view looking south-west from London at 22.15 BST on 3 July 2025.

At 8.3 days old, and with 60% of its visible surface illuminated, the moon will be just past its first quarter (half moon) phase and into its waxing gibbous phase, on the way to becoming full next week.

Spica is the brightest star in the constellation Virgo, the maiden. It is the 15th brightest star in the night sky and lies about 250 light-years away from Earth. Although it appears as a single object to even our most advanced telescopes, detailed analysis reveals that Spica is in fact a binary star.

It is composed of two giant stars, separated by about 18m km, that orbit each other once every four days.

One of these component stars has a diameter just under eight times the size of the sun’s diameter and the other is four times the diameter. Together they give out more than 12,000 times the light from our sun.

From the southern hemisphere, the conjunction will appear to be higher in the sky, and therefore a little easier to see.

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Source: The Guardian