Spica is the only star on Brazil’s flag above the motto band.
Spica, also called Alpha Virginis, represents the state of Pará. Its position above the white band reflects Pará’s territory north of the Equator when the republican flag was designed. The band carries the Portuguese motto “Ordem e Progresso” (“Order and Progress”).
Brazil’s flag depicts the sky over Rio de Janeiro on 15 November 1889, the day the republic was proclaimed. The stars represent Brazil’s federal units, and their arrangement follows a celestial view rather than a simple decorative pattern. The design originally had 21 stars and reached its current 27-star form in 1992.
A common mix-up is confusing Spica with the Southern Cross, the most visually prominent constellation on the flag. Spica is not part of that cross: it is the solitary star above the band. Another distinctive star is Sigma Octantis, representing the Federal District near the south celestial pole.