Mira variables are a class of pulsating stars characterized by very red colours, pulsation periods longer than 100 days, and amplitudes greater than one magnitude in infrared and 2.5 magnitude at visual wavelengths. They are red giants in the very late stages of stellar evolution, on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB), that will expel their outer envelopes as planetary nebulae and become white dwarfs within a few million years.
Alpha Scuti, Latinized from α Scuti, is an orange-hued star in the southern constellation of Scutum. Originally part of the Aquila constellation, Alpha Scuti was a latter designation of 1 Aquilae. It is faintly visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 3.83. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 16.38 mas as seen from the Earth, it is located around 199 light years from the Sun. It is moving away from the Sun with a radial velocity of +36.5 km/s.
U Antliae is a variable star in the constellation Antlia. It is a carbon star surrounded by two thin shells of dust.
2 Andromedae, abbreviated 2 And, is a binary star system in the northern constellation of Andromeda. 2 Andromedae is the Flamsteed designation. It is a faint star system but visible to the naked eye with a combined apparent visual magnitude of 5.09. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 7.7 mas, it is located 420 light years away. The binary nature of the star was discovered by American astronomer Sherburne Wesley Burnham at Lick Observatory in 1889. The pair orbit each other over a period of 74 years with a high eccentricity of 0.8.
Iota Canis Majoris, Latinized from ι Canis Majoris, is a solitary variable supergiant star in the southern constellation of Canis Major. It is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude that varies between +4.36 and +4.40. The distance to this star is approximately 2,500 light years based on parallax measurements. It is drifting further away with a radial velocity of +41.2 km/s.
Kappa Cassiopeiae is a star in the constellation Cassiopeia.
R Centauri is a Mira variable star in the constellation Centaurus.
KW Sagittarii is a red supergiant star, located approximately 2,160 parsecs away from the Sun in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius. It is one of the largest known stars, with a diameter about 1,000 times larger than the Sun. If placed at the center of the Solar System, the star's surface would engulf Mars, coming close to Jupiter's orbit.
T Cephei is a Mira variable star in the constellation Cepheus. Located approximately 600 light-years distant, it varies between magnitudes 5.2 and 11.3 over a period of around 388 days.
HD 123657, or BY Boötis, is a variable star of magnitude 4.98–5.33V. This makes it a dim naked eye star. The star is located near the end of the handle of the Big Dipper, but just within the boundaries of the constellation Boötes.
V Hydrae is a carbon star in the constellation Hydra. To date perhaps uniquely in our galaxy it has plasma ejections/eruptions on a grand scale every 8.5 years caused by its near, unseen companion in an 8.5 year orbit, inferred by its ultraviolet excess and periastron passage likely through the outer parts of the star itself.
R Scuti is a star in the constellation of Scutum. It is a yellow supergiant and is a pulsating variable known as an RV Tauri variable. It was discovered in 1795 by Edward Pigott at a time when only a few variable stars were known to exist.
9 Cephei, also known as V337 Cephei, is a variable star in the constellation Cepheus.
64 Eridani is a single, yellow-white hued star in the constellation Eridanus having variable star designation S Eridani. It is faintly visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.77. The annual parallax shift is measured at 12.01 mas, which equates to a distance of about 272 light years. In addition to its proper motion, it is moving closer to the Sun with a radial velocity of around −9 km/s.
U Hydrae is a single star in the equatorial constellation of Hydra, near the northern constellation border with Sextans. It is a semiregular variable star of sub-type SRb, with its brightness ranging from visual magnitude (V) 4.7 to 5.2 over a 450-day period, with some irregularity. This object is located at a distance of approximately 680 light years from the Sun based on parallax. It is drifting closer with a radial velocity of −26 km/s.
PZ Cassiopeiae is a red supergiant star located in the constellation of Cassiopeia, and a semi-regular variable star.
17 Persei is a single star in the northern constellation of Perseus, located about 390 light years away from the Sun. It is visible to the naked eye as a faint, orange-hued star with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.53. This object is moving further from the Earth at a heliocentric radial velocity of +13 km/s.
UY Scuti (BD-12°5055) is a red supergiant star, located 5,900 light-years away in the constellation Scutum. It is also a pulsating variable star, with a maximum brightness of magnitude 8.29 and a minimum of magnitude 10.56, which is too dim for naked-eye visibility. It is considered to be one of the largest known stars, with a radius estimated at 909 solar radii, thus a volume of 750 million times that of the Sun. This estimate implies if it were placed at the center of the Solar System, its photosphere would extend past the orbit of Mars or even the asteroid belt.
T Ceti is a semiregular variable star located in the equatorial constellation of Cetus. It varies between magnitudes 5.0 and 6.9 over 159.3 days. The stellar parallax shift measured by Hipparcos is 3.7 mas, which yields a distance estimate of roughly 900 light years. It is moving further from the Earth with a heliocentric radial velocity of +29 km/s.
IK Tauri or NML Tauri is a Mira variable star located about 280 parsecs (910 ly) from the Sun in the zodiac constellation of Taurus.
