Quick, what’s the reddest star visible to the naked eye? Depending on your sky conditions, your answer may well be this week’s astronomical highlight. Mu Cephei, also known as Herschel’s Garnet Star, is a ruddy gem in the constellation Cepheus near the Cygnus/Lacerta border. A variable star ranging in brightness by a factor of about … Continue reading "Seeing Red: Hunting Herschel’s Garnet Star"