Beta Andromedae

Beta Andromedae (Beta And, β And, β Andromedae) is the Bayer designation for a prominent star in the northern constellation of Andromeda. It has the traditional name Mirach, which is also spelled Merach, Mirac, Mirak. β Andromedae is located northeast of the Great Square of Pegasus and is theoretically visible to all observers north of 54° S. The galaxy NGC 404, also known as Mirach's Ghost, is visible seven arc-minutes away.

This star has an average apparent visual magnitude of 2.05, which makes it the brightest star in the constellation. However, the luminosity varies slightly from magnitude +2.01 to +2.10. Based upon parallax measurements, it is located at a distance of roughly 197 light-years (60 parsecs) from Earth. The apparent magnitude of this star is reduced by 0.06 from extinction caused by the gas and dust along the line of sight.