Posts Tagged ‘Algol’
EarthSky Tonight—Algol, a famous variable star,
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org Algol – perhaps the most famous variable star in all the heavens – will be dimmest tonight at 8:29 p.m. Mountain Standard Time. Even at its dimmest, Algol is still bright enough to see with the eye. Algol is what astronomers call an eclipsing binary star. In other words, the single point of light that we see as Algol is really two stars. Like clockwork, these two stars revolve around each other every 2.87 ... Full Story
EarthSky Tonight—Oct. 30, As Halloween approaches,
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org As Halloween approaches, try looking for the star Beta Persei, otherwise known as Algol in the constellation Perseus. This star’s proper name comes from the Arabic for head of the ghoul, or head of the demon. This star is known to vary in brightness over a regular time interval. The cycle lasts exactly 2 days, 20 hours and 49 minutes. All the while, the star remains visible to the eye. Algol’s brightness variations are not due ... Full Story
EarthSky Tonight—September 17, Close-up on
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org Will you be able to see the ‘demon’ star in the constellation Perseus the Hero tonight? Yesterday’s chart showed you how to use the constellation Cassiopeia to locate Perseus in the northeast at mid to late evening. The brightest star in Perseus is Alpha Persei, whose proper name is Mirfak, pronounced MEER-fak. Comet Hartley 2 passes in front of Cassiopeia, Perseus in autumn 2010 Meanwhile, the best-known star in this ... Full Story