Spica A size and scale context

Spica A is the hot blue primary in the Spica binary and a Beta Cephei variable near the end of its main-sequence life. Its rapid rotation and close companion distort the star into an ellipsoidal shape, so the system appears to breathe and shimmer even though the stars remain unresolved to the naked eye. Read its scale context, comparisons, and journey links on the canonical object page.