Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
Most stars appear only as points of light.
Recently, Betelgeuse became the second star, after our Sun , to have it surface resolved. Now add Mira to the list. Mira A is a red giant star undergoing dramatic pulsations, causing it to become more than 100 times brighter over the course of a year. Mira was discovered to be the first variable star 401 years ago today by David Fabricus. Mira can extend to over 700 times the size of our Sun, and is only 400 light-years away.