APOD: 2026 November 12 – Moon, Venus and Spica Meet
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 November 12 –… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Moon, Venus and […]
On November 12, 2026, an Astronomy Picture of the Day showcased a celestial alignment featuring the Moon, Venus, and Spica. The image, captured in Poland, depicted the crescent Moon above the Tatra Mountains, with bright Venus close by in the horizon. To the left of Venus, the bright star Spica, located in the constellation of Virgo, was visible.
Spica, one of the brightest stars in the sky, resides approximately 250 light-years away from Earth. Interestingly, astronomers discovered in 1890 that Spica is not a solitary star but rather a binary system, comprising two massive blue stars in orbit around each other every 4 days. However, earlier this year, it was reported that Spica is actually part of a triple system.
The term "planet" originates from the Greek words "wandering star," as planets appear to move relative to fixed stars. Consequently, when planets seem to approach other celestial objects from our perspective, these events are known as conjunctions. Such meetings do not occur by chance but are governed by the precise laws of celestial mechanics.
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- APOD: 2026 November 12 – Moon, Venus and Spica Meet science.nasa.gov
