This is a picture of Mira taken by theHubble Space Telescope . Mira is abinary star system with awhite dwarf (Mira B , also known asVZ Ceti ) star and ared giant (Mira A ). Scientists think Mira is 200-400 light years away in the constellationCetus . Mira A is avariable star , changing its size and brightness. Other red giant stars that do the same are calledMira variables .
Mira changes brightness cyclically Mira has adiameter 332[ 1] [ 2] sun .
If Mira's size was constant, then its diameter would be only 240 times larger than theSun .[ 1]
↑1.0 1.1 Wood, P. R.; Wittkowski, M.; Weigelt, G.; Scholz, M.; Schöller, M.; Schertl, D.; Richichi, A.; Ohnaka, K.; Hofmann, K.-H.; Driebe, T.; Eberhardt, M.; Woodruff, H. C. (1 July 2004)."Interferometric observations of the Mira star o Ceti with the VLTI/VINCI instrument in the near-infrared" .Astronomy & Astrophysics .421 (2):703– 714.arXiv :astro-ph/0404248 Bibcode :2004A&A...421..703W .doi :10.1051/0004-6361:20035826 .S2CID 17009595 – via www.aanda.org. ↑ Menten, K. M.; Kemper, F.; Verhoelst, T.; Justtanont, K.; Koter, A. de; Decin, L.; Beck, E. De (1 November 2010)."Probing the mass-loss history of AGB and red supergiant stars from CO rotational line profiles - II. CO line survey of evolved stars: derivation of mass-loss rate formulae" .Astronomy & Astrophysics .523 : A18.arXiv :1008.1083 Bibcode :2010A&A...523A..18D .doi :10.1051/0004-6361/200913771 .S2CID 16131273 – via www.aanda.org.
