See the moon close to Spica
After midnight and thru the morning of February 11, 2023, discover the waning gibbous moon close to the brilliant star Spica in Virgo the Maiden. The moon shall be greater than 70% lit, reducing from its peak throughout full moon on February 5. So, whereas the moon remains to be fairly vivid, it’s not vivid sufficient to scrub out close by Spica, which shines at magnitude 1.04.
For essentially the most correct view of the sky out of your location, use Stellarium on-line.
Spica, brightest star of Virgo
The star Spica additionally has the identify of Alpha Virginis. From its distance of 262 light-years away, Spica seems to us on Earth as a lone bluish-white star in a quiet area of sky. However Spica consists of two stars and possibly extra. The pair are each bigger and warmer than our sun. They usually’re separated by solely 11 million miles (lower than 18 million km). They orbit their widespread heart of gravity in solely 4 days.
Spica’s two stars are so shut and orbit so shortly round one another that their mutual gravity distorts them into egg shapes. Astronomers assume the pointed ends of those egg-shaped stars face one another as they whirl round.
Spica and the ecliptic
As a result of Spica is situated near the ecliptic, or path of the sun, moon and planets, it sometimes will get occulted by the moon. An occultation is when one physique, such because the moon, passes in entrance of one other object from the viewer’s perspective. The next lunar occultation of Spica is on June 16, 2024. It will likely be seen to observers situated close to the Caspian Sea.
However the moon seems to move near Spica each month in its orbit round Earth. It is because the moon returns to the identical spot in its orbit each 27.3 days. So, in case you’re clouded out for this pairing of the moon and Spica, you may strive once more on March 10. In April, it’s the full moon that meets Spica on April 6. Why isn’t the moon in the identical phase each time it meets Spica? That’s as a result of it takes 29.5 days to go from new moon to full phase and again to new once more. Read more about the moon’s orbit and phases here.
Backside line: Spot the moon close to Spica, the brightest star of Virgo the Maiden, after midnight and within the morning of February 11, 2023.
For more great observing events in the coming weeks, visit EarthSky’s night sky guide
