Mira facts for kids
Mira is a fascinating star system far away in space. It's not just one star, but two stars orbiting each other. This is called a binary star system. One star, Mira A, is a huge, old star called a red giant. The other, Mira B (also known as VZ Ceti), is a tiny, dense star called a white dwarf.
Scientists believe Mira is about 200 to 400 light-years from Earth. That's incredibly far! It's found in the constellation Cetus, which looks like a whale in the night sky. Mira A is special because it changes size over time. Other red giant stars that do the same are called Mira variables.
How Big Is Mira?
Mira A is much, much bigger than our Sun. Its size changes, but its diameter can be 332 to 541 times larger than the Sun's.
If Mira A did not change its size, it would still be about 240 times larger than our Sun. Imagine how huge that is!
Images for kids
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Mira at two different times
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This graph shows how Mira's brightness changes over time. It's called a light curve.
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Mira as seen from the Earth
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Mira seen in different types of light: ultraviolet (UV) and visible light.
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This image shows how other stars, like χ Cygni, also change in brightness, temperature, and size, just like Mira.
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Ultraviolet picture of Mira's bow shock and tail from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX).
See also
In Spanish: Mira (estrella) para niños
