Algol
1
9.9
- proper noun
- /ˈælɡəl/
- Specialized
- In 1889, Vogel's spectrograph proved what had long been suspected: Algol is an eclipsing binary system.
- Algol binary
- variability of Algol
- Algol's period
Examples
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However, these apparent dots are actually systems made of a pair of stars, and some, like Algol, contain a third star orbiting the inner pair.
Academic text (2000) -
By analyzing the Algol system, Vogel and Scheiner obtained the first estimates of masses of stars other than the Sun.
Academic text (1990) -
When you view Algol binaries through a telescope, all you can see is a single dot of light.
Academic text (2000) -
Whether or not this was the first instance when the variability of Algol was noted still remains a moot point.
Academic text (1990) -
Goodricke not only discovered that Algol's light varied with a regular cycle, he was also the first to offer an explanation for the variations.
Academic text (1990) -
I unzipped the tent and looked out at the stars: Rigel, Algol, clear, cold, and changeless.
Fiction book (1990) -
While only two eclipsing variables (Algol and Beta Lyrae) were known in 1800, by 1900 their number had increased to 24.
Academic text (1990) -
Algol is the brightest and closest eclipsing binary in our sky, and this binary is the prototype of the class of Algol-type binaries.
Academic text (2000) -
So, at maximum, Algol is 3.3 times as bright as when it's at its minimum.
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The classic eclipsing binary, Algol, makes an easy target because you can see its brightness vary with your naked eye.
Surface Forms
Etymology
Algol comes from the Arabic name al-ghūl, meaning 'the ghoul', and from ra's al-ghūl meaning 'the ghoul's head', the same root as English ghoul. Because the star becomes dim and bright, people thought of it as a blinking demon's eye, so the name matches the star's changing light.