Winking Demons

The Algol eclipsing binary is in the constellation Perseus. It is sometimes called the Winking Demon Star because it varies dramatically in brightness and is the "eye" of the Gorgon, a creature slain by Perseus in mythology (also called the "eye of the Medusa" in Greek). The name Algol derives from the Arabic Ras al Ghul for the "demon's head"; the English word ghoul comes from the same root.