Mira
binary star system in the constellation Cetus
Mira (pronounced , MY-rə) is a binary star system in the constellation Cetus. It has the Bayer designation Omicron Ceti, which is Latinized from ο Ceti, and abbreviated Omicron Cet or ο Cet. The system consists of a variable red giant (Mira A) along with a white dwarf companion (Mira B). Mira A is a pulsating variable star and was the first non-supernova variable star discovered, with the possible exception of Algol. It is the prototype of the Mira variables. The system lies at a distance of 300 light-years (92 parsecs).
Nomenclature
ο Ceti (Latinised to Omicron Ceti) is the star's Bayer designation. It was named Mira (Latin for 'wonderful' or 'astonishing') by Johannes Hevelius in his Historiola Mirae Stellae (1662). In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalog and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN's first bulletin of July 2016 included a table of the first two batches of names approved by the WGSN, which included Mira for this star.
The public source identifies “Mira” as binary star system in the constellation Cetus. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Mira, binary and star.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Mira”, the useful work is to connect “binary star system in the constellation Cetus” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 14, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q12965. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1662 and 2016.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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This entry incorporates text from “Mira” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.