List of variable stars

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As of 2017, there are over 52,011 known variable stars, [1] with more being discovered regularly, so a complete list of every single variable is impossible at this place (cf. GCVS). The following is a list of variable stars that are well-known, bright, significant, or otherwise interesting.

Contents

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.
Designation (name)ConstellationDiscovery Apparent magnitude (Maximum) [2] Apparent magnitude (Minimum) [3] Range of magnitudePeriodTypeComment
R And Andromeda  9.1409 d Mira variable (M) 
S And (Supernova 1885) Ernst Hartwig, August 20, 188510.2 Supernova (SNI) 
U Ant Antlia  1.6 LB  
θ Aps Apus  2.2119 d Semiregular (SRB) 
η Aql Aquila Pigott, 17840.917.17664 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP) 
R Aql  6.5284 d Mira variable (M) 
V Aql  1.8353 d Semiregular (SRB) 
R Aqr Aquarius Karl Ludwig Harding, 18106.9387 d Mira variable (M) 
T Aqr  7.0202 d Mira variable (M) 
U Ara Ara  6.4225 d Mira variable (M) 
R Ari Aries  6.3187 d Mira variable (M) 
U Ari  8.0371 d Mira variable (M) 
ε Aur (Almaaz) Auriga Johann Heinrich Fritsch, 18210.91 Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/GS) 
R Aur  7.2458 d Mira variable (M) 
AE Aur  0.30 Orion variable (INA) 
R Boo Boötes  6.9223 d Mira variable (M) 
W Boo  0.67450 d Semiregular (SRB:) 
X Cam Camelopardalis  6.8144 d Mira variable (M) 
VZ Cam  0.1623.7 d Semiregular (SR) 
R Cap Capricornus Hind, 18485.5345 d Mira variable (M) 
η Car Carina Burchell, 18278.6 S Doradus (SDOR)"The unpredictable supergiant"
l Car  0.9035.53584 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP) 
R Car  6.6309 d Mira variable (M) 
S Car  5.4149 d Mira variable (M) 
γ Cas Cassiopeia  1.4 Gamma Cassiopeiae (GCAS) 
R Cas  8.9430 d Mira variable (M) 
S Cas  8.2612 d Mira variable (M) 
W Cas  4.7406 d Mira variable (M) 
WZ Cas  2.2 Semiregular (SRB)Visual double star, visible through binoculars
R Cen Centaurus  6.5546 d Mira variable (M) 
S Cen  1.565 d Semiregular (SR) 
T Cen  3.590.44 d Semiregular (SRA) 
V645 Cen (Proxima Centauri) 1.02 UV Ceti (UV) 
δ Cep Cepheus John Goodricke, 17840.895.36634 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP) prototypedouble star, visible in binoculars
Vega Lyra 0.090.107 d Delta Scuti variable Brightest variable star in the sky.
μ Cep (Herschel's Garnet Star) Cepheus William Herschel, 17821.67730 d Semiregular (SRC) 
S Cep Cepheus  5.5487 d Mira variable (M) 
T Cep  6.1388 d Mira variable (M) 
U Cep  2.492.49305 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/SD) 
SS Cep  1.190 d Semiregular (SRB) 
ST Cep    None Mira variable (M) 
AR Cep  0.9 Semiregular (SRB) 
ο Cet (Mira) Cetus David Fabricius, 1596; variability may have been first noted by Johannes Fokkes Holwarda, 16388.1332 d Mira variable (M)"The miraculous"
The first discovered non-ephemeral/cataclysmic variable star.
T Cet  1.9159 d Semiregular (SRC) 
U Cet  6.6235 d Mira variable (M) 
W Cet  7.7351 d Mira variable (M) 
R Cha Chamaeleon  6.7335 d Mira variable (M) 
R CMa Canis Major  0.641.13594 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/SD) 
VY CMa  3.1unique (*) 
FW CMa  0.50 Gamma Cassiopeiae (GCAS) 
S CMi  6.6333 d Mira variable (M) 
R Cnc Cancer  5.73362 d Mira variable (M) 
S Cnc Hind, 18481.969.48455 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/DS) 
T Cnc Hind, 18502.9482 d Semiregular (SRB) 
X Cnc  1.9195 d Semiregular (SRB) 
T Col Columba  6.1226 d Mira variable (M) 
R Com Coma Berenices  7.5363 d Mira variable (M) 
α CrB (Alphecca or Gemma) Corona Borealis  0.1117.35991 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/DM) 
R CrB Piggott, 17959.09 R Coronae Borealis (RCB) 
S CrB  8.7360 d Mira variable (M) 
T CrB  8.8 recurrent nova (NR) 
U CrB  1.133.45220 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/SD) 
V CrB  5.3358 d Mira variable (M) 
W CrB  6.5238 d Mira variable (M) 
R Cru Crux  0.835.82575 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP) 
R Crv Corvus  7.7317 d Mira variable (M) 
χ Cyg Cygnus Kirch, 168610.9408 d Mira variable (M) 
R Cyg  8.3426 d Mira variable (M) 
U Cyg  6.2463 d Mira variable (M) 
W Cyg  2.1131 d Semiregular (SRB) 
X Cyg  1.0616.38633 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP) 
RT Cyg  7.1190 d Mira variable (M) 
SS Cyg  4.7 dwarf nova UGSS prototype 
SU Cyg  0.783.84555 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP) 
CH Cyg  2.89 Z Andromedae (ZAND+SR) 
R Del Delphinus  6.2285  d Mira variable (M) 
U Del  1.3110 d Semiregular (SRB) 
EU Del  1.1159.7 d Semiregular (SRB) 
β Dor Dorado  0.629.8426 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP) 
S Dor  2.9 S Doradus (SDOR) (prototype)in the Large Magellanic Cloud
R Dra Draco  6.5246 d Mira variable (M) 
T Eri Eridanus  6.0252 d Mira variable (M) 
R For Fornax  5.5389 d Mira variable (M) 
η Gem (Propus) Gemini  0.75233 d Semiregular (SRA+EA) 
ζ Gem (Mekbuda) 0.5610.15073 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP) 
R Gem Hind, 18488.0370 d Mira variable (M) 
S Gem Hind, 18486.7293 d Mira variable (M) 
T Gem Hind, 18487.0288 d Mira variable (M) 
U Gem  6.7 dwarf nova (UGSS+E) 
S Gru Grus  9.0402 d Mira variable (M) 
α Her (Rasalgethi) Hercules William Herschel, 17591.26 Semiregular (SRC) 
g Her (30 Her) 2.089.2 d Semiregular (SRB) 
u Her (68 Her) 0.682.05103 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/SD) 
S Her  7.4307 d Mira variable (M) 
U Her  7.0406 d Mira variable (M) 
X Her  1.195.0 d Semiregular (SRB) 
R Hor Horologium  9.6408 d Mira variable (M) 
U Hor  6.3348 d Mira variable (M) 
R Hya Hydra Maraldi, 17047.4389 d Mira variable (M) 
S Hya Hind, 18486.1257 d Mira variable (M) 
U Hya  2.4 Semiregular (SRB) 
VW Hya  3.62.69642 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/SD) 
BL Lac Lacerta  4.8BLLAC prototypeoriginally thought to be a variable star, but later

discovered to be a blazar

R Leo Leo J.A. Koch, 17826.9310 d Mira variable (M) 
R Lep Lepus  6.2427 d Mira variable (M)Hind's Crimson Star
RX Lep  2.4 Semiregular (SRB) 
R LMi Leo Minor  6.9372 d Mira variable (M) 
RU Lup Lupus  3.8 Orion variable (INT) 
β Lyr (Sheliak) Lyra John Goodricke, 17841.1112.91383 d Eclipsing binary Beta Lyrae type (prototype) 
R Lyr  1.12 Semiregular (SRB) 
RR Lyr  1.060.566868 d RR Lyrae variable (prototype) 
U Mic Microscopium  7.7334 d Mira variable (M) 
U Mon Monoceros  2.791.3 d RV Tauri variable (RVB) 
V Mon  7.9341 d Mira variable (M) 
R Nor Norma  7.4508 d Mira variable (M) 
T Nor  7.4241 d Mira variable (M) 
R Oct Octans  6.8405 d Mira variable (M) 
S Oct  6.8259 d Mira variable (M) 
V Oph Ophiuchus  4.3297 d Mira variable (M) 
X Oph  3.3329 d Mira variable (M) 
RS Oph  8.2 recurrent nova (NR) 
BF Oph  0.784.06775 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP) 
α Ori (Betelgeuse) Orion John Herschel, 18401.3 Semiregular (SRC) 
δ Ori (Mintaka) John Herschel, 18340.125.73248 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/DM) 
R Ori Hind, 18484.35377 d Mira variable (M) 
U Ori  8.5368 d Mira variable (M) 
W Ori  4.2212 d Semiregular (SRB) 
VV Ori  0.351.48538 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/KE:) 
CK Ori  1.2 Semiregular (SR:) 
κ Pav Pavo  0.879.09423 d Type II Cepheid (CW) 
S Pav  3.8381 d Semiregular (SRA) 
β Peg (Scheat) Pegasus Schmidt, 18470.43 LB  
ε Peg (Enif)2.8 LC  
R Peg Hind, 18486.9378 d Mira variable (M) 
X Peg  5.8201 d Mira variable (M) 
β Per (Algol) Perseus Geminiano Montanari, 16691.272.86730 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/SD) (prototype)The Demon Star
DY Persei R Coronae Borealis / DY Persei / (prototype)
φ Per  0.1519.5 d Gamma Cassiopeiae (GCAS) 
ρ Per  0.70 Semiregular (SRB) 
X Per  0.97 Gamma Cassiopeiae (GCAS+XP) 
ζ Phe (Wurren) Phoenix  0.511.66977 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/DM) 
R Pic Pictor  3.75171 d Semiregular (SR) 
R Psc Pisces Hind, 18507.8345 d Mira variable (M) 
TX Psc  0.42 LB  
L2 Pup Puppis  3.6141 d Semiregular (SRB) 
RS Pup  1.1541.3876 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP) 
T Pyx Pyxis  8.77 recurrent nova (NR) 
S Scl Sculptor  8.1363 d Mira variable (M) 
RR Sco Scorpius  7.4281 d Mira variable (M) 
RS Sco  6.8320 d Mira variable (M) 
RT Sco  8.2449 d Mira variable (M) 
R Sct Scutum Pigott, 17954.4146.5 d RV Tauri variable (RVA) 
R Ser Serpens Harding, 18269.24356 d Mira variable (M) 
S Ser Harding, 18287.1372 d Mira variable (M) 
U Sge Sagitta  2.833.38062 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/SD) 
WZ Sge  8.53 dwarf nova (UGSU+E+ZZ) 
RR Sgr Sagittarius  8.6336 d Mira variable (M) 
R Sgr  6.13270 d Mira variable (M) 
U Sgr Sagittarius(in M25) 0.876.74523 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP) 
RT Sgr Sagittarius  8.1306 d Mira variable (M) 
RU Sgr  7.8240 d Mira variable (M) 
RY Sgr  8.2 R Coronae Borealis (RCB) 
VX Sgr  7.08732 d Semiregular (SRC) 
λ Tau Taurus Baxendell, 18480.543.95295 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/DM) 
R Tau Hind, 18498.2321 d Mira variable (M) 
T Tau  4.2 Orion variable (INT) 
SU Tau  7.76 R Coronae Borealis (RCB) 
R Tri Triangulum  7.2267 d Mira variable (M) 
R UMa Ursa Major  7.2302 d Mira variable (M) 
T UMa  6.9257 d Mira variable (M) 
U UMa  0.05- 
W UMa  0.730.3336 d Eclipsing binary W Ursae Majoris type (prototype) 
Z UMa  3.2196 d Semiregular (SRB) 
α UMi (Polaris) Ursa Minor  0.273.9696 d Classical Cepheid (DCEPS) 
R Vir Virgo Harding, 18096.0146 d Mira variable (M) 
S Vir  6.9375 d Mira variable (M) 

Notes

  1. ↑ Samus', N. N.; Kazarovets, E. V.; Durlevich, O. V.; Kireeva, N. N.; Pastukhova, E. N. (2017). "General catalogue of variable stars: Version GCVS 5.1". Astronomy Reports. 61 (1): 80. Bibcode:2017ARep...61...80S. doi:10.1134/S1063772917010085.
  2. ↑ (visual magnitude, unless marked (B) (= blue) or (p) (= photographic))
  3. ↑ (visual magnitude, unless marked (B) (= blue) or (p) (= photographic))

References

See also

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