On spring nights, the solitary blue star Spica rises in the eastern sky standing seemingly alone in the constellation Virgo. Spica will always be a special star to me. You see, in my teenage years, I stayed up into the early morning hours to catch a last glimpse of the Orion Nebula and other deep sky gems. The cold, dry late winter nights allowed for excellent seeing. Faint objects pierced the sky and arrived beautifully even in my cheap telescope.
Back then, I remember saying goodbye to Orion as it would fall behind the trees across the street. It was then I would turn my attention to the eastern skyline, scanning for stars of the spring and summer. As if on cue, Spica’s blue light would pierce the freezing air with a reminder of warmer days to come.
Fast forward decades later. The other night on April 16th, 2021, I waited for Spica to clear a line of tall Douglas Firs. While watching for the first sign of the star’s blue hue, my mind ran though the painful year of 2020. I thought of loved ones who died of COVID-19 and lamented the passing of time. Near midnight, Spica broke out from the sea of trees. I just stared at the distant star and old friend.
I must have spent five minutes at the eyepiece. With every look, my imagination shot back to innocent times. Before letting myself be swallowed up in deep mire, I thought of Spica’s reminder of better seasons ahead. For the first time in twelve months, I sensed that life would find its way back soon — the same way the seasons return and life begins anew.
My Observations
| Date | April 16, 2021 |
| Time | 11:45 p.m. |
| Location | Seattle, WA |
| Scope | None. Canon 70D |
| Lens | 18-400mm Tamron |
| Seeing | Good |
| Transparency | Above Average |
Key Stats
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Best Viewing | Spring |
| Visual Magnitude | +1.1 |
| Absolute Magnitude | -3.4 |
| Distance from Earth | 250ly |
| Diameter | 6.7 Suns |
| Milky Way Location | Orion Spur |
| My Viewing Grade | A |
Sources and Notes
Photo by Spica by Wayne McGraw
Photo of Aspen Park, Colorado by Tony Dearwester on Unsplash
The Garden Astronomer 
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