Rotating ellipsoidal variable
Class of variable star
Rotating ellipsoidal variables are a class of close binary variable star systems whose components are ellipsoidal. They are not eclipsing, but fluctuations in apparent magnitude occur due to changes in the amount of light emitting area visible to the observer. Typical brightness fluctuations do not exceed 0.1 magnitudes.
The brightest rotating ellipsoidal variable is Spica (α Virginis).
01List of variables
| Designation (name) | Constellation | Discovery | Apparent magnitude (Maximum) | Apparent magnitude (Minimum) | Range of magnitude | Spectral type | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spica (α Virginis) | Virgo | Ruban et al. (2006) | 0.97 | 1.04 | 0.07 | B1 III-IV + B2 V | Brightest member; binary |
| α Trianguli (Mothallah) | Triangulum | Ruban et al. (2006) | 3.52 (Hp) | 3.53 (Hp) | 0.01 | F5 III + M | |
| π5 Orionis | Orion | Ruban et al. (2006) | 3.66 | 3.73 | 0.07 | B2 III + B6 V | |
| b Persei | Perseus | Ruban et al. (2006) | 4.52 | 4.68 | 0.07 | A2 V | |
| 68 Cygni (V1809 Cyg) | Cygnus | 4.98 | 5.09 | 0.11 | O7.5 IIIn((f)) | Variability is disputable | |
| π Cassiopeiae | Cassiopeia | Paunzen & Maitzen (1998) | 4.95 | 4.97 | 0.02 | A5 V + A5 V | |
| 31 Crateris (TY Corvi) | Corvus | 5.19 | 5.23 | 0.04 | B1.5 V | Unknown companion | |
| 14 Cephei (LZ Cephei) | Cepheus | Morris (1985) | 4.67 | 4.71 | 0.04 | O9 III + O9.5 V | |
| HZ Canis Majoris | Canis Major | 5.28 | 5.34 | 0.06 | A0 EuCrSr | Long 6.4 year period;binary |
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Rotating ellipsoidal variable”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- AlphaVirLightCurve.png by PopePompus, CC BY-SA 4.0
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