Mira is a long-period variable star. It brightens up about every 11 months, and right now it's near the peak for this cycle. The star is in Cetus and it normally is too dim for the naked eye; earlier this week I was able to observe it without a telescope, and also take a spectrum of it.
The star is an "M" class giant, which means it's cool and big. Really big - it would swallow our planet and maybe even Mars if it were here in our solar system.
The spectrum is interesting because it shows a star that is rich in elements heavier than Hydrogen and Helium. It's heavily dominated by titanium oxide bands. You can see that the intensity increases toward the longer (redder) wavelengths of light, which explains why it appears red to the human eye - it really is! Although I've only identified a few lines here, there are many more to be explored in this spectrum.
Click here to see a larger version along with some details about the acquisition.
Many other stars are called "Mira Variables" because they behave in a similar fashion, which makes this one even more special.
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