Resolving Mira . ... FOC , ESA , NASA Explanation: Most stars appear only as points of light. Early last year, Betelgeuse became the second star, after our Sun , to have it surface resolved. Later last year, Mira was added to the list. Mira A is a red giant star undergoing dramatic pulsations, causing it to become more than 100 times brighter over the course of a year. ... Mira can extend to over 700 times the size of our Sun, and is only 400 light-years away. ...