Red Variable Stars in the Perseus Double Cluster

First Data Release - Season 2007-2008

These clusters are young and most of the stars tend to be blue or white in color. However note the reddish-orange stars scattered throughout the clusters. These are some of the most massive stars that have evolved into red-giant stars. These stars will tend to be long period variable stars and are easy to identify in this image.

Comparison Stars

STAR B V R
#1 10.032 9.660 9.410
#2 9.086 8.786 8.600
#3 9.700 9.534 9.430
#4 10.988 11.089 11.150

Combination of 120 second images in B, V and R bands


RESULTS - AD PER, FZ PER, RS PER, V403 PER, V439 PER

AD PER - is listed as a semi-regular star with an amplitude >1 magnitude. Less than 1/3rd of this range was seen during the 180 day trial.


FZ PER - A semi-regular variable and the best known variable star in the double cluster. FZ PER showed few signs of the reported 1 magnitude variability during the 180 day trial.


RS PER - Stated to be a semi-regular variable star with a large (> 2 magnitudes) amplitude. A period of several hundred days is suggested by the results obtained so far.


V403 PER - Reported as being a long period variable star with a low amplitude and the results obtained confirm this. Not a very exciting target for the variable star observer!


V439 PER - Reported as being a long period variable star with a slightly larger amplitude than V403 PER and the results obtained confirm this. Again not a very exciting target for the variable star observer!


OTHER VARIABLES IN THE SAME FIELD

V359 PER, V503 PER, V506 PER, V507 PER, V519 PER, V553 PER, V595 PER, V621 PER, V622 PER, V665 PER


TYPE ACYG = Supergiants with multiple non-radial pulsations and emission spectra. Very small variations with periods of weeks.


TYPE BCEP = Beta Cep. Blue stars with variations 0.1-0.3 mags and periods 0.1-0.7 days, caused by radial pulsations. Multiple periods are common.


TYPE BE = "It becomes more and more clear that, although the majority of Be stars are photometrically variable, not all of them could be properly called GCAS variables. Quite a number of them show small-scale variations not necessarily related to shell events; in some cases the variations are quasi-periodic. By now we are not able to present an elaborated system of classification for Be variables, but we adopt a decision that in the cases when a Be variable cannot be readily described as a GCAS star we give simply BE for the type of variability."


TYPE EA = Binaries where one component periodically passes in front of the other. Periods range from hours to years.


TYPE ELL = elliptical. Tidally distorted close binary stars, but no eclipses are observed (see EB class). Variations < 0.1 mag.


In collaboration with the Remote Astronomical Society Observatory

Martin Nicholson - Daventry, United Kingdom.

This page was last updated on October 4th 2008.