Algol

Bet

Variable star

Its story

Algol is Perseus's fabled «demon's head», a name drawn from the Arabic «raʾs al-ġūl». Every 2.87 days its brightness drops in a way the naked eye can register, and for centuries it was thought a cursed star; today we know it as an eclipsing system, where an unseen companion passes periodically in front of the brighter star. Its light travels barely 90 years to reach us — still carrying an echo of those ancient fears.

Constellation: Perseus
Apparent magnitude: 2.09
Distance: 89.9 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 47.042° · Dec 40.956°
Catalogue: HIP 14576 · HD 19356

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