APOD 2.1

Astronomy Picture of the Day: Mirach's Ghost 2010 Oct. 28th

This is a good example of the effect diffraction and glare can have on a picture and viewing sample.  In actuality Mirach is a faint and fuzzy star considering it is nearly 10,000,000 light years away.  It itself is larger (yet cooler) than our sun and so we can't see it very well from where we are.  However, the diffraction and glare make the star seem extraordinarily bright.  This star is part of the constellation Andromedae and constitutes NGC 404. This is a completely different galaxy which is obvious considering its distance from us.