Starwatch: Algol gives us a chance to marvel at a variable star

Once associated with Medusa’s head, this is one of few stars the naked eye can see changing brightnessThis week offers northern hemisphere observers a good opportunity to see a variable star in action. Algol is located in the constellation of Perseus and is one of only a few stars that can be seen to change brightness with the naked eye. This extraordinary characteristic led our ancestors to associate it with the severed head of the gorgon Medusa being held in Perseus’s hand. The nam