Astrophysics (Index)About

variable star

(variable)
(star that varies in magnitude)

A variable star (or just a variable) is a star which becomes dimmer and brighter over time as seen from Earth. This can be due to changes in the star such as brightening or enlarging, or through a change in whatever the light must pass through to reach us. Examples: Achernar, AD Leonis, Algol, DQ Tau, GG Tau, HL Tau, Lalande 21185, Rigel, Ross 154, Ross 248, T Tauri, Vega.

Stars generally are at least slightly variable, such as the 0.1% variability of the Sun over the solar cycle. The term microvariable indicates a star showing very slight variability, e.g., small enough that multiple observations must be made to preclude instrument variability and random errors. The term rotational modulation indicates the repeating pattern of variability that is a signature of starspots. Some general classes:

(The above classes are not distinct.) Variation may be something that occurs in less than the course of a day (intraday variable or IDV) or for some pulsating stars, a variation period longer than 30 or so days (a long period variable or LPV) or even over spans of years such as FU Orionis stars. Some of the specific types of variables:

The details of the observed variation offer clues to the sources of variation, often revealing or confirming models of stellar structure for the given star, for its particular variable-star type, and for stars in general. Like binary stars, variable stars have yielded clues regarding stars in general and how they function: some types of variation offer some stellar parameter determination and some types offer information regarding their interiors.


(star type,transient type,variable)
Further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable_star
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_(star)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BY_Draconis_variable
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RS_Canum_Venaticorum_variable
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flare_star
https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/v/variable+stars
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Starlog/varstar.html
https://www.britannica.com/science/variable-star
https://www.aavso.org/types-of-variables-guide-for-beginners
http://www.sai.msu.su/gcvs/gcvs/vartype.htm
https://www.space.com/15396-variable-stars.html
https://www.atnf.csiro.au/outreach/education/senior/astrophysics/variable_types.html
https://www.rasc.ca/variable-stars

Referenced by pages:
AB Pictoris (AB Pic)
Achernar
AD Leonis (AD Leo)
Algol (Beta Per)
All Sky Automated Survey (ASAS)
amateur astronomy
American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO)
asymptotic giant branch (AGB)
AU Microscopii (AU Mic)
Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP)
BA supergiant
Beta Centauri
Bibliographic Catalog of Variable Stars (BCVS)
binary star
cataclysmic variable star (CV)
Cepheid variable (CEP)
chemically peculiar star (CP star)
contact binary
dwarf nova (DN)
eclipsing binary (E)
ellipsoidal variable
EROS
Evryscope
Frank Ross's Catalog (Ross)
FU Orionis star (FUor)
General Catalogue of Variable Stars (GCVS)
Giclas 29-38 (G 29-38)
HAT-P-7b
helium star
Herbig AeBe star (HAeBe)
Hubble constant (H0)
Hubble expansion
instability strip
International Variable Star Index (VSX)
kappa mechanism (κ-mechanism)
KIC 8462852
Lalande 21185
LaSilla-QUEST Variability Survey (LSQ)
luminous blue variable (LBV)
MACHO Project
magnitude
main sequence star (MS)
mass transfer
Messier 15 (M15)
MISAO project
New Catalogue of Suspected Variable Stars (NSV)
Pan-STARRS
partial ionization zone
PESSTO
photometry
planetary nebula (PN)
plate
pre-main-sequence star (PMS)
pulsating star
rare designator prefixes
Ross 154
Ross 248
RR Lyrae variable (RRL)
RS Ophiuchi (RS Oph)
shell star (sh)
slowly-pulsating B-star (SPB)
spectral type
star
stellar designation
stripped star
sunspot
T Tauri
T-Tauri star (TTS)
transient astronomy
variable star designation
Vega
VISTA
VY Canis Majoris (VY CMa)
WASP-33b
white dwarf (WD)
Whole Earth Telescope (WET)
Wolf 359

Index