Mira is a facinating variable star. For most of the year, it is too faint to see. But for a very short month Mira peaks to a bright visible star in the constellation Cetus, a large mythological whale. Thanks to the help of the moon, it will be really easy to spot this distant and peculiar star next week.

On Wednesday night, the first quarter moon will appear right above the magical star. Find the moon, and the fairly bright star underneath it is Mira. You’ll still need a star chart to be assured you’ve found the right one.

Soak up the view of Mira, for in a month or less, the star will fade and disappear from view. Mira has been watched for centuries. In early astronomy, the star was called “Mira the Wonderful.”

The star is a pulsating variable, which means it consistently changes brightness. Astronomers know it is actually two stars, with the largest pulsating regularly. The cycle runs 11 months, from the time it is brightest to the next time it is easily visible.

The star might easily be missed without some help from the moon or a star chart. Mira is a third magnitude star, not the brightest in that part of the sky. The constellation Orion is to the east of the constellation Cetus and most folks can find Orion.

Cetus is a nondescript visual constellation with lots of stars but none so bright as Orion. Still, if you can find Mira, the best adventure is to watch it in the weeks ahead as it gradually fades and then disappears from the sky until late this year.