R Aquarii is a binary star system believed to contain a white dwarf and a Mira-type variable . The orbital period is approximately 44 years. The main Mira-type star is a red giant, and varies in brightness by a factor of several hundred and with a period of slightly more than a year; this variability was discovered by Karl Ludwig Harding in 1810. It has a distance of about 390 parsecs, and is one of the nearest symbiotic stars and a well-known jet source. The two components have been resolved at

4.5K views · 370 reactions | MIRA • A Real Shooting Star - Mira Soars...

This week we explore one of the sky’s most fascinating stars – Mira, the famous long-period variable star in the constellation Cetus. Join EarthSky's Deborah Byrd and Bob King - aka AstroBob - as they explain how Mira “breathes,” expanding and contracting over a 332-day cycle. Most of the year, this star is invisible to the unaided eye. But, near maximum, it pops into view. That's what's happening now. Mira is heading toward its peak. We’ll show you exactly how to find it in the evening sky and

8.7K views · 351 reactions | Mira completed two burns just a single orbit apart. This rapid turnaround capability speaks to Mira’s responsiveness and flexibility, allowing multiple maneuvers to fit into minutes or hours, depending on burn magnitudes. This gives mission planners more control over positioning and the ability to optimize payload operations on demand. Video by Impulse Space | Space FrontPage | Facebook