Have you ever wondered about the stars and what secrets they hold? Well, the universe never ceases to amaze us with its wonders, and the Mira star is no exception. This mystical beauty, also known as Omicron Ceti, is one of the strangest and most fascinating stars in the universe.
Mira is a star that changes its brightness constantly and unpredictably. At times, it becomes the brightest star in its constellation, and at others, it fades into near-invisibility. This behavior puzzled astronomers for centuries until they finally discovered that Mira is a variable star with a very long period of brightness and a very large amplitude.
But the discovery of Mira’s uniqueness is not recent. The star was first mentioned in 134 B.C. by Hipparchus and later observed by Chinese astronomers in 1070. However, its almost supernatural properties were not discovered until much later. In 1596, pastor and astronomer David Fabricius accidentally discovered Mira while observing Mercury. He noticed a star that was absent from all the stellar maps and globes, which he observed for several months before it faded away.
Thirteen years later, Fabricius came across the star again, and various astronomers from around the world began to monitor it closely. Jan Hevelius, a Polish astronomer who observed the stellar body from 1659-1682, named it Mira, which is Latin for “amazing,” and he was absolutely right. This star is indeed amazing.
Mira is 700 times larger than the diameter of our sun, and its brightness increases three and a half times in just 332 days. Despite its peculiarity, it is usually too dim to be seen with a small amateur telescope. However, during its peaks, Mira becomes the brightest star in the constellation Saetus.
In conclusion, the Mira star is a truly incredible wonder of the universe. Its mystical and unpredictable behavior has fascinated astronomers for centuries, and it continues to do so to this day. So, next time you gaze up at the night sky, take a moment to appreciate the majesty and mystery of the Mira star.
