You are here: Variable classes
In this page you can see all the GCVS classifications. You can click the type and see a description of that below the table.
| Information |
These are variable stars showing outbursts caused by thermonuclear
burst processes in their surface layers (novae) or deep in their
interiors (supernovae). We use the term "novalike" for variables that
show novalike outbursts caused by rapid energy release in the
surrounding space (UG-type stars - see below) and also for objects not
displaying outbursts but resembling explosive variables at minimum
light by their spectral (or other) characteristics. The majority of
explosive and novalike variables are close binary systems, their
components having strong mutual influence on the evolution of each
star. It is often observed that the hot dwarf component of the system
is surrounded by an accretion disk formed by matter lost by the other,
cooler, and more extended component. This category is subdivided into
the following types:
N, NA, NB, NC, NL, NR, SN, SNI, SNII, UG, UGSS, UGSU, UGZ, ZANDSub-class description SS Cygni-type variables (SS Cyg, U Gem). They increase in brightness by 2-6 mag in V in 1-2 days and in several subsequent days return to their original brightnesses. The values of the cycle are in the range 10 days to several thousand; Copyright © English text: © N.N. Samus [Moscow Inst. Astron.] © O.V. Durlevich [Sternberg Astron. Inst., Moscow] Finnish text Copyright © Mika Luostarinen |
| Eruptive | Pulsating | Rotating | Cataclysmic | Eclipsing | X-ray | Other |
|
FU GCAS I IA IB IN INA INB INT INYY IS ISA ISB IT RCB RS SDOR UV UVN WR |
ACYG BCEP BCEPS CEP CEPB CW CWA CWB DCep DCEPS DSCT DSCTC L Lb Lc MIRA PVTEL RRab RR(B) RRC RR LYRAE TYPE RV RVa RVB SR SRa SRb SRc SRd SXPHE ZZ ZZA ZZB |
ACV ACVO BY ELL FKCOM PSR SXARI |
Nova SN SNI SNII UG UGSS UGSU UGZ ZAnd |
AR D DM DS DW E EA EB EW GS K KE KW PN RS SD WD WR |
X XB XF XI XJ XND XNG XP XPR XPRM,XM |
* BLLAC CST GAL L: QSO S |