MIRA

From one of the brightest stars in the entire sky to one of the dimmest, Mira’s dazzling qualities have been fascinating scientists for centuries. Located 350 light years away in the constellation of Cetus (the Whale), Mira – officially designated Omicron Ceti – lies on the celestial equator, and can therefore be seen from the entire Earth, but only when it is visible, which is not very often.

This intriguing celestial object is an intrinsic variable star, meaning it differs in brightness, and this variety is caused by the fundamental structure of the star. Mira’s brightness fluctuates on a regular schedule, with a peak in luminosity roughly every 11 months. At its dimmest, Mira is a tenth-magnitude star barely visible with a modest set of binoculars. However, during its brighter phase, peaking around magnitude +3.5, no