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Cetus
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===Stars=== {{Main|List of stars in Cetus}} [[Mira]] ("wonderful", [[Bayer designation|named by Bayer]]: [[Omicron Ceti]], a star of the neck of the asterism) was the first [[variable star]] to be discovered and the prototype of [[Mira variable|its class, Mira variables]]. Over a period of 332 days, it reaches a maximum [[apparent magnitude]] of 3 - visible to the naked eye - and dips to a minimum magnitude of 10, invisible to the unaided eye. Its seeming appearance and disappearance gave it its name. Mira [[pulsating variable|pulsates]] with a minimum size of 400 solar diameters and a maximum size of 500 solar diameters. 420 light-years from Earth, it was discovered by [[David Fabricius]] in 1596.{{sfn|Ridpath|Tirion|2001|pp=114-116}} [[Alpha Ceti|Ξ± Ceti]], traditionally called Menkar ("the nose"), is a red-hued giant star of magnitude 2.5, 220 light-years from Earth. It is a wide [[double star]]; the secondary is [[93 Ceti]], a blue-white hued star of magnitude 5.6, 440 light-years away. [[Beta Ceti|Ξ² Ceti]], also called Deneb Kaitos and Diphda is the brightest star in Cetus. It is an orange-hued giant star of magnitude 2.0, 96 light-years from Earth. The traditional name "Deneb Kaitos" means "the whale's tail". [[Gamma Ceti|Ξ³ Ceti]], Kaffaljidhma ("head of the whale") is a very close double star. The primary is a blue-hued star of magnitude 3.5, 82 light-years from Earth, and the secondary is an F-type star of magnitude 6.6.{{sfn|Ridpath|Tirion|2001|pp=114-116}} [[Tau Ceti]] is noted for being a near [[Sun-like star]] at a distance of 11.9 light-years. It is a yellow-hued [[main-sequence star]] of magnitude 3.5. [[AA Ceti]] is a triple [[star system]]; the brightest member has a magnitude of 6.2. The primary and secondary are separated by 8.4 arcseconds at an angle of 304 degrees. The tertiary is not visible in telescopes. AA Ceti is an eclipsing variable star; the tertiary star passes in front of the primary and causes the system's apparent magnitude to decrease by 0.5 magnitudes.{{sfn|Levy|2005|p=67}} [[UV Ceti]] is an unusual binary variable star. At 8.7 light-years from Earth, the system consists of two [[red dwarfs]]. Both of magnitude 13. One of the stars is a [[flare star]], which are prone to sudden, random outbursts that last several minutes; these increase the pair's apparent brightness significantly - as high as magnitude 7.{{sfn|Ridpath|Tirion|2001|pp=114-116}}
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