13 August

1596: On 13 August 1596, David Fabricus discovered Mira, the first pulsating (and second variable) star. In 1603, it was seen, measured and cataloged by Johann Bayer in his Uranometria as star of 4th magnitude, and labelled Omicron Ceti by him. Johann Hevelius observed it from 1659 to 1682, inserted it in his monumental work, Prodomus Astronomiae, and named it 'Mira' ("the Wonderful") in his Historiola Mirae Stellae of 1662.

Mira is the brightest and most famous long-period pulsating variable star in the sky, and gave the name to this whole class of stars.