Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Mira: The Wonderful Star

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for May 5, 2005 is “Mira: The Wonderful Star,” an image. It is credited to Credit: X-ray Image: M. Karovska ( Harvard-Smithsonian CfA ) et al. , CXC / NASA Illustration: M.Weiss(CXC). The original explanation runs about 167 words.

Mira: The Wonderful Star
Credit: X-ray Image: M. Karovska ( Harvard-Smithsonian CfA ) et al. , CXC / NASA Illustration: M.Weiss(CXC) Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“To seventeenth century astronomers, Omicron Ceti or Mira was known as a wonderful star – a star whose brightness could change dramatically in the course of about 11 months.”

— APOD editors, May 5, 2005

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
May 5, 2005
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: X-ray Image: M. Karovska ( Harvard-Smithsonian CfA ) et al. , CXC / NASA Illustration: M.Weiss(CXC)
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 167 words

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Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.