mira

Mira, also known as Omicron Ceti, is a red giant star in the constellation Cetus and the prototype of Mira variables, a class of pulsating variable stars. It was the first known star recognized to change in brightness, identified by the German-Dutch astronomer David Fabricius in 1596.

The star’s brightness varies over a cycle of about 332 days, with visual magnitude ranging from around 2 at maximum to near 9–10 at minimum. Located roughly 300 light-years from Earth, Mira is an evolved asymptotic giant branch star undergoing substantial mass loss, which creates a circumstellar envelope of gas and dust. The variability is driven by pulsations in the star’s outer layers, and Mira-type stars are defined by their large amplitudes and long periods relative to other red giants.

Beyond astronomy, Mira is a common given name in many cultures and languages. Notable people named Mira include Mira Sorvino, an American actress; Mira Nair, an Indian-American filmmaker; and Mira Furlan, a Croatian-Serbian actress. The name is used in fiction and in various cultural contexts, reflecting its cross-cultural appeal.