Algol
Credit - starwalk.space
This star is part of the constellation Perseus the Hero, which is visible from late autumn to early spring. To locate Algol, look north to Orion’s Belt, and then draw an imaginary line north to the first bright star, which is Capella. Forming a pattern that looks like a crooked, upside-down letter Y, Perseus is to the west of Capella. Of the two brightest stars in the constellation, Algol is the southern one.
The traditional name of this star was derived from Arabic and means “the head of the demon.” According to Greek mythology, the hero Perseus slew the snake-haired Gorgon Medusa. In depictions of this constellation, Algol represents Medusa’s eye because the star seems to blink. This is because Algol is an eclipsing binary star. When the dimmer companion star passes in front of the brighter one, it produces a blinking effect. In fact, Algol is a triple star. The primary star is blue white, the second is orange, and the third is white.
In sixteenth-century Europe, Algol was known by the Latin names Caput Larvae, “the specter’s head,” and Caput Medusae, “the head of Medusa.” In ancient times Algol was linked
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Magical Symbols and Alphabets
Sandra Kyles
