1) An eclipsing system of at least three components (B8 V, K0, Am). Period of components A and B is about 68.8 hours; period of components A, B, and C is about 1.9 years. Long term observations also indicate a massive, unseen fourth component with a period of about 190 years. Algol is also an erratic radio source of about 0.5 AU diameter.

2) The most famous eclipsing binary, Algol was probably the first variable star discovered. It lies in the constellation Perseus and consists of two stars that orbit each other every 2.87 days. When one star passes in front of the other, the light of the system dims.