Maxima of Mira were found from BAAVSS observations by a computer program and method described previously. (see The Maxima of Chi Cygni)
The O-C values are plotted from the derived elements; 2412866.6 + 332.83E
Forthcoming maxima should occur within two or three weeks of;
JD2451474 = 1999 Oct 22, JD2451807 = 2000 Sep 19, JD2452140 = 2001 Aug 18,
JD2452473 = 2002 Jly 17, JD2452806 = 2003 Jun 15
Mira is difficult to observe in April and May (see Mira's 'closed season') hence maxima can be missed when they occur at this time of year. As can be seen in the long-term lightcurve, the brightness of maxima vary considerably. In the table below, the least-squares fits give values between 5.0m and 2.1m.
Table of maxima found for Omicron Ceti -d and +d = days considered before and after the observed max. obs = number of observations used in the fit. ex = additional scattered observations excluded from the fit. F = estimated worthiness of the fit;- Good, Average, Poor. mag = maximum of the fitted parabola; mags from very poor fits are omitted. JD maxima date -d +d obs ex F mag 2412901=1894 Mar 13 23 27 9 1 P 3.5 2413258=1895 Mar 05 41 12 11 0 P 4.0 2413596=1896 Feb 06 34 12 14 0 P 3.9 2414913=1899 Sep 15 38 31 20 0 G 4.0 2415221=1900 Jly 20 35 69 14 0 A 3.5 2416549=1904 Mar 09 30 20 24 0 A 3.1 2416901=1905 Feb 24 34 36 51 0 G 3.8 2417221=1906 Jan 10 26 24 48 0 A 4.4 2417557=1906 Dec 12 20 20 112 0 G 2.1 2417886=1907 Nov 06 25 25 86 0 G 3.4 2418226=1908 Oct 11 25 33 125 0 G 3.6 2418553=1909 Sep 03 32 28 66 0 G 3.1 2418876=1910 Jly 23 34 26 18 1 G 3.3 2419209=1911 Jun 21 16 34 10 0 A 3.3 2419880=1913 Apr 22 33 40 10 0 A 2.9 2420214=1914 Mar 22 41 22 63 2 A 3.2 2420530=1915 Feb 01 23 27 65 0 G 3.7 2421191=1916 Nov 23 31 29 86 0 G 3.8 2421507=1917 Oct 05 32 28 80 0 G 3.6 2421857=1918 Sep 20 24 26 66 0 G 3.6 2422183=1919 Aug 12 22 28 46 0 G 3.0 2422867=1921 Jun 26 42 38 6 1 P 4.0 2423492=1923 Mar 13 29 21 53 0 A 3.0 2423828=1924 Feb 12 35 25 139 0 G 4.9 2424163=1925 Jan 12 27 23 160 0 G 3.8 2424489=1925 Dec 04 23 27 140 0 G 3.3 2424809=1926 Oct 20 21 19 126 0 G 3.2 2425151=1927 Sep 27 23 27 67 0 G 4.2 2425484=1928 Aug 25 21 29 74 0 G 2.9 2425810=1929 Jly 17 23 27 28 0 G 4.4 2426147=1930 Jun 19 27 33 10 0 A 3.6 2426824=1932 Apr 26 51 46 12 0 P - 2427156=1933 Mar 24 35 25 30 2 A 3.8 2427477=1934 Feb 08 29 21 76 0 G 4.0 2427805=1935 Jan 02 21 19 62 0 G 2.6 2428158=1935 Dec 21 32 18 34 0 G 4.5 2428491=1936 Nov 18 20 20 85 0 G 2.6 2428840=1937 Nov 02 25 25 54 1 G 4.7 2429166=1938 Sep 24 18 22 31 0 G 4.1 2429485=1939 Aug 09 20 30 19 3 A 3.1 2431488=1945 Feb 01 21 25 20 0 G 2.7 2431831=1946 Jan 10 27 23 30 0 A 4.3 2432161=1946 Dec 06 25 25 53 0 G 4.3 2432479=1947 Oct 20 25 25 34 1 G 3.0 2432817=1948 Sep 22 19 31 22 2 G 3.7 2433156=1949 Aug 27 26 24 21 0 G 2.8 2433490=1950 Jly 27 24 36 8 1 A 3.5 2435146=1955 Feb 07 30 25 23 0 G 4.0 2435490=1956 Jan 17 35 25 32 1 A 3.6 2435808=1956 Nov 30 28 32 20 0 G 4.0 2436150=1957 Nov 07 45 63 26 0 P 4.0 2436486=1958 Oct 09 21 29 25 0 A 3.2 2436798=1959 Aug 17 38 22 20 0 A 3.4 2437141=1960 Jly 25 31 29 13 0 A 3.4 2438466=1964 Mar 11 37 13 12 0 A 3.5 2438822=1965 Mar 02 43 34 25 0 A 3.3 2439138=1966 Jan 12 36 35 20 0 A 3.1 2439469=1966 Dec 09 34 26 31 0 G 3.6 2439824=1967 Nov 29 33 17 51 0 G 3.5 2440127=1968 Sep 27 30 40 26 0 G 4.0 2440463=1969 Aug 29 36 44 20 0 A 2.5 2440824=1970 Aug 25 33 27 21 0 G 4.0 2442484=1975 Mar 12 28 22 45 0 G 3.1 2442825=1976 Feb 16 23 27 46 0 G 5.0 2443169=1977 Jan 25 24 26 44 0 G 3.2 2443492=1977 Dec 14 26 34 60 0 G 2.9 2443842=1978 Nov 29 24 26 31 0 G 4.9 2444175=1979 Oct 28 27 23 39 0 G 3.9 2444510=1980 Sep 27 25 25 65 0 G 3.8 2444852=1981 Sep 04 25 25 40 0 G 3.9 2445185=1982 Aug 03 25 25 22 0 A 3.1 2446841=1987 Feb 14 24 22 69 0 G 3.0 2447176=1988 Jan 15 21 29 147 1 G 4.2 2447509=1988 Dec 13 35 25 122 1 G 3.7 2447820=1989 Oct 20 26 24 74 0 G 2.9 2448172=1990 Oct 07 39 41 57 0 A 3.9 2448500=1991 Aug 31 26 44 59 0 G 3.9 2450494=1997 Feb 14 24 21 57 1 G 2.5 2450817=1998 Jan 03 17 33 63 0 G 3.8 2451163=1998 Dec 15 33 27 69 0 G 4.9