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:
- pulsating variable star - grow larger and smaller.
- eruptive variable star - stellar flares, etc.
- cataclysmic variable star - significant explosions such as novae.
- rotating variable star - e.g., showing/hiding star spots.
- eclipsing binary.
- semiregular variable.
- irregular variable.
- intrinsic variable - due to internal features (e.g., pulsation).
- extrinsic variable - due to surface or external features (e.g., rotation, shape, binary star appearance).
(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:
- Cepheid variable - type of pulsating star (oscillates between being physically larger and smaller).
- W Virginis variable - specific type of Cepheid variable: 10-20 day period, spectral type F6 to K2.
- RR Lyrae variable - somewhat similar to a Cepheid.
- protostars such as T-Tauri star and FU Orionis stars (both sometimes termed Orion variables).
- polar or AM Herculis star - binary star with accretion of mass from a red dwarf to a white dwarf with a significant magnetic field.
- intermediate polar or DQ Herculis star - similar to a polar if the magnetic field is weaker or the stars are further apart.
- BY Draconis variable (or BY Draconis star or just BY) - apparently starspots produce their variability.
- RS Canum Venaticorum variable (or RS Canum Venaticorum star) - like BY Draconis variables that are also close binary stars.
- Alpha² Canum Venaticorum variable (or α² Canum Venticorum variable or ACV) - a type of early star that varies in brightness across its surface, showing variability as it rotates.
- flare star - shows quick variations, e.g., in minutes - generally an M dwarf (examples: Wolf 359 and Barnard's Star).
- W Ursae Majoris variable or eclipsing W Ursae Majoris (EW) - type of eclipsing contact binary of low mass stars.
- Beta Cephei variable (BCEP or BCE or Beta Canis Majoris star) - has a type of small rapid variation.
- Algol variable or eclipsing Algol (EA) - type of eclipsing binary with certain peculiar characteristics.
- Beta Lyrae variable or eclipsing Beta Lyrae (EB) - type of eclipsing binary with two massive stars in contact.
- Gamma Cassiopeiae variable (GCAS) - type of star with long-term variations ascribed to a varying decretion disk.
- PV Telescopii variable (PVTEL) - type of pulsating supergiant.
- R Coronae Borealis variable (RCB) - type of eruptive variable.
- S Doradus variable (SDOR) - type of eruptive variable.
- SX Arietis variable (SXARI) - type of B-type rotating variable.
- SX Phoenicis variable (SXPHE) - type of pulsating variable.
- U Geminorum variable (UG) - type of cataclysmic variable star, aka a dwarf nova.
- Z Andromedae variable (ZAND) - type of eruptive variable.
- Z Andromedae with eclipses (ZANDE) - a Z Andromedae variable that is also an eclipsing binary.
- rotating ellipsoidal variable - close binary star non-spherical through gravitational inter-attraction, showing varying amounts of surface toward us.
- FK Comae Berenices variable - rotating star with large cool areas.
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