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List of variable stars

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As of 2017, there are over 52,011 known variable stars, 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.

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) Constellation Discovery Apparent magnitude (Maximum) Apparent magnitude (Minimum) Range of magnitude Period Type Comment
R And Andromeda   5.8 14.9 9.1 409 d Mira variable (M)  
S And (Supernova 1885) Andromeda Ernst Hartwig, August 20, 1885 5.8 16 10.2 Supernova (SNI)  
U Ant Antlia   8.1 (p) 9.7 (p) 1.6 LB  
θ Aps Apus   6.4 (p) 8.6 (p) 2.2 119 d Semiregular (SRB)  
η Aql Aquila Pigott, 1784 3.48 4.39 0.91 7.17664 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP)  
R Aql Aquila   5.5 12.0 6.5 284 d Mira variable (M)  
V Aql Aquila   6.6 8.4 1.8 353 d Semiregular (SRB)  
R Aqr Aquarius Karl Ludwig Harding, 1810 5.8 12.4 6.9 387 d Mira variable (M)  
T Aqr Aquarius   7.2 14.2 7.0 202 d Mira variable (M)  
U Ara Ara   7.7 14.1 6.4 225 d Mira variable (M)  
R Ari Aries   7.4 13.7 6.3 187 d Mira variable (M)  
U Ari Aries   7.2 15.2 8.0 371 d Mira variable (M)  
ε Aur (Almaaz) Auriga Johann Heinrich Fritsch, 1821 2.92 3.83 0.91 27.08 years Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/GS)  
R Aur Auriga   6.7 13.9 7.2 458 d Mira variable (M)  
AE Aur Auriga   5.78 6.08 0.30 Orion variable (INA)  
R Boo Boötes   6.2 13.1 6.9 223 d Mira variable (M)  
W Boo Boötes   4.73 5.4 0.67 450 d Semiregular (SRB:)  
X Cam Camelopardalis   7.4 14.2 6.8 144 d Mira variable (M)  
VZ Cam Camelopardalis   4.80 4.96 0.16 23.7 d Semiregular (SR)  
R Cap Capricornus Hind, 1848 9.4 14.9 5.5 345 d Mira variable (M)  
η Car Carina Burchell, 1827 -0.8 7.9 8.6 S Doradus (SDOR) "The unpredictable supergiant"
l Car Carina   3.28 4.18 0.90 35.53584 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP)  
R Car Carina   3.9 10.5 6.6 309 d Mira variable (M)  
S Car Carina   4.5 9.9 5.4 149 d Mira variable (M)  
γ Cas Cassiopeia   1.6 3.0 1.4 Gamma Cassiopeiae (GCAS)  
R Cas Cassiopeia   4.7 13.5 8.9 430 d Mira variable (M)  
S Cas Cassiopeia   7.9 16.1 8.2 612 d Mira variable (M)  
W Cas Cassiopeia   7.8 12.5 4.7 406 d Mira variable (M)  
WZ Cas Cassiopeia   6.3 8.5 2.2 Semiregular (SRB) Visual double star, visible through binoculars
R Cen Centaurus   5.3 11.8 6.5 546 d Mira variable (M)  
S Cen Centaurus   9.2 (p) 10.7 (p) 1.5 65 d Semiregular (SR)  
T Cen Centaurus   5.5 9.0 3.5 90.44 d Semiregular (SRA)  
V645 Cen (Proxima Centauri) Centaurus   12.1 (B) 13.12 (B) 1.02 UV Ceti (UV)  
δ Cep Cepheus John Goodricke, 1784 3.48 4.37 0.89 5.36634 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP) prototype double star, visible in binoculars
Vega Lyra -0.02 0.07 0.09 0.107 d Delta Scuti variable Brightest variable star in the sky.
μ Cep (Herschel's Garnet Star) Cepheus William Herschel, 1782 3.43 5.1 1.67 730 d Semiregular (SRC)  
S Cep Cepheus   7.4 12.9 5.5 487 d Mira variable (M)  
T Cep Cepheus   5.2 11.3 6.1 388 d Mira variable (M)  
U Cep Cepheus   6.75 9.24 2.49 2.49305 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/SD)  
SS Cep Cepheus   8.0 (p) 9.1 (p) 1.1 90 d Semiregular (SRB)  
ST Cep Cepheus   7.8     None Mira variable (M)  
AR Cep Cepheus   7.0 7.9 0.9 Semiregular (SRB)  
ο Cet (Mira) Cetus David Fabricius, 1596; variability may have been first noted by Johannes Fokkes Holwarda, 1638 2.0 10.1 8.1 332 d Mira variable (M) "The miraculous"
The first discovered non-ephemeral/cataclysmic variable star.
T Cet Cetus   5.0 6.9 1.9 159 d Semiregular (SRC)  
U Cet Cetus   6.8 13.4 6.6 235 d Mira variable (M)  
W Cet Cetus   7.1 14.8 7.7 351 d Mira variable (M)  
R Cha Chamaeleon   7.5 14.2 6.7 335 d Mira variable (M)  
R CMa Canis Major   5.70 6.34 0.64 1.13594 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/SD)  
VY CMa Canis Major   6.5 9.6 3.1 unique (*)  
FW CMa Canis Major   5.00 5.50 0.50 Gamma Cassiopeiae (GCAS)  
S CMi Canis Minor   6.6 13.2 6.6 333 d Mira variable (M)  
R Cnc Cancer   6.07 11.8 5.73 362 d Mira variable (M)  
S Cnc Cancer Hind, 1848 8.29 10.25 1.96 9.48455 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/DS)  
T Cnc Cancer Hind, 1850 7.6 10.5 2.9 482 d Semiregular (SRB)  
X Cnc Cancer   5.6 7.5 1.9 195 d Semiregular (SRB)  
T Col Columba   6.6 12.7 6.1 226 d Mira variable (M)  
R Com Coma Berenices   7.1 14.6 7.5 363 d Mira variable (M)  
α CrB (Alphecca or Gemma) Corona Borealis   2.21 (B) 2.32 (B) 0.11 17.35991 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/DM)  
R CrB Corona Borealis Piggott, 1795 5.71 14.8 9.09 R Coronae Borealis (RCB)  
S CrB Corona Borealis   5.8 14.1 8.7 360 d Mira variable (M)  
T CrB Corona Borealis   2.0 10.8 8.8 (80 years) recurrent nova (NR)  
U CrB Corona Borealis   7.66 8.79 1.13 3.45220 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/SD)  
V CrB Corona Borealis   6.9 12.6 5.3 358 d Mira variable (M)  
W CrB Corona Borealis   7.8 14.3 6.5 238 d Mira variable (M)  
R Cru Crux   6.40 7.23 0.83 5.82575 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP)  
R Crv Corvus   6.7 14.4 7.7 317 d Mira variable (M)  
χ Cyg Cygnus Kirch, 1686 3.3 14.2 10.9 408 d Mira variable (M)  
R Cyg Cygnus   6.1 14.4 8.3 426 d Mira variable (M)  
U Cyg Cygnus   5.9 12.1 6.2 463 d Mira variable (M)  
W Cyg Cygnus   6.80 (B) 8.9 (B) 2.1 131 d Semiregular (SRB)  
X Cyg Cygnus   5.85 6.91 1.06 16.38633 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP)  
RT Cyg Cygnus   6.0 13.1 7.1 190 d Mira variable (M)  
SS Cyg Cygnus   7.7 12.4 4.7 (49.5 d) dwarf nova UGSS prototype  
SU Cyg Cygnus   6.44 7.22 0.78 3.84555 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP)  
CH Cyg Cygnus   5.60 8.49 2.89 Z Andromedae (ZAND+SR)  
R Del Delphinus   7.6 13.8 6.2 285  d Mira variable (M)  
U Del Delphinus   7.6 (p) 8.9 (p) 1.3 110 d Semiregular (SRB)  
EU Del Delphinus   5.79 6.9 1.11 59.7 d Semiregular (SRB)  
β Dor Dorado   3.46 4.08 0.62 9.8426 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP)  
S Dor Dorado   8.6 (B) 11.5 (B) 2.9 S Doradus (SDOR) (prototype) in the Large Magellanic Cloud
R Dra Draco   6.7 13.2 6.5 246 d Mira variable (M)  
T Eri Eridanus   7.2 13.2 6.0 252 d Mira variable (M)  
R For Fornax   7.5 13.0 5.5 389 d Mira variable (M)  
η Gem (Propus) Gemini   3.15 3.9 0.75 233 d Semiregular (SRA+EA)  
ζ Gem (Mekbuda) Gemini   3.62 4.18 0.56 10.15073 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP)  
R Gem Gemini Hind, 1848 6.0 14.0 8.0 370 d Mira variable (M)  
S Gem Gemini Hind, 1848 8.0 14.7 6.7 293 d Mira variable (M)  
T Gem Gemini Hind, 1848 8.0 15.0 7.0 288 d Mira variable (M)  
U Gem Gemini   8.2 14.9 6.7 (105.2 d) dwarf nova (UGSS+E)  
S Gru Grus   6.0 15.0 9.0 402 d Mira variable (M)  
α Her (Rasalgethi) Hercules William Herschel, 1759 2.74 4.0 1.26 Semiregular (SRC)  
g Her (30 Her) Hercules   4.3 6.3 2.0 89.2 d Semiregular (SRB)  
u Her (68 Her) Hercules   4.69 5.37 0.68 2.05103 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/SD)  
S Her Hercules   6.4 13.8 7.4 307 d Mira variable (M)  
U Her Hercules   6.4 13.4 7.0 406 d Mira variable (M)  
X Her Hercules   7.5 (p) 8.6 (p) 1.1 95.0 d Semiregular (SRB)  
R Hor Horologium   4.7 14.3 9.6 408 d Mira variable (M)  
U Hor Horologium   7.8 (p) 15.1 (p) 6.3 348 d Mira variable (M)  
R Hya Hydra Maraldi, 1704 3.5 10.9 7.4 389 d Mira variable (M)  
S Hya Hydra Hind, 1848 7.2 13.3 6.1 257 d Mira variable (M)  
U Hya Hydra   7.0 (B) 9.4 (B) 2.4 ~450 d Semiregular (SRB)  
VW Hya Hydra   10.5 14.1 3.6 2.69642 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/SD)  
BL Lac Lacerta   12.4 (B) 17.2 (B) 4.8 BLLAC prototype originally thought to be a variable star, but later

discovered to be a blazar

R Leo Leo J.A. Koch, 1782 4.4 11.3 6.9 310 d Mira variable (M)  
R Lep Lepus   5.5 11.7 6.2 427 d Mira variable (M) Hind's Crimson Star
RX Lep Lepus   5.0 7.4 2.4 ~60 d Semiregular (SRB)  
R LMi Leo Minor   6.3 13.2 6.9 372 d Mira variable (M)  
RU Lup Lupus   9.6 (p) 13.4 (p) 3.8 Orion variable (INT)  
β Lyr (Sheliak) Lyra John Goodricke, 1784 3.25 4.36 1.11 12.91383 d Eclipsing binary Beta Lyrae type (prototype)  
R Lyr Lyra   3.88 5.0 1.12 ~46 d Semiregular (SRB)  
RR Lyr Lyra   7.06 8.12 1.06 0.566868 d RR Lyrae variable (prototype)  
U Mic Microscopium   7.0 14.4 7.7 334 d Mira variable (M)  
U Mon Monoceros   6.1 (p) 8.8 (p) 2.7 91.3 d RV Tauri variable (RVB)  
V Mon Monoceros   6.0 13.9 7.9 341 d Mira variable (M)  
R Nor Norma   6.5 (p) 13.9 (p) 7.4 508 d Mira variable (M)  
T Nor Norma   6.2 13.6 7.4 241 d Mira variable (M)  
R Oct Octans   6.4 13.2 6.8 405 d Mira variable (M)  
S Oct Octans   7.2 14.0 6.8 259 d Mira variable (M)  
V Oph Ophiuchus   7.3 11.6 4.3 297 d Mira variable (M)  
X Oph Ophiuchus   5.9 9.2 3.3 329 d Mira variable (M)  
RS Oph Ophiuchus   4.3 12.5 8.2 recurrent nova (NR)  
BF Oph Ophiuchus   6.93 7.71 0.78 4.06775 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP)  
α Ori (Betelgeuse) Orion John Herschel, 1840 0.0 1.3 1.3 6.39 years Semiregular (SRC)  
δ Ori (Mintaka) Orion John Herschel, 1834 2.14 2.26 0.12 5.73248 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/DM)  
R Ori Orion Hind, 1848 9.05 13.4 4.35 377 d Mira variable (M)  
U Ori Orion   4.8 13.0 8.5 368 d Mira variable (M)  
W Ori Orion   8.2 (p) 12.4 (p) 4.2 212 d Semiregular (SRB)  
VV Ori Orion   5.31 5.66 0.35 1.48538 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/KE:)  
CK Ori Orion   5.9 7.1 1.2 ~120 d Semiregular (SR:)  
κ Pav Pavo   3.91 4.78 0.87 9.09423 d Type II Cepheid (CW)  
S Pav Pavo   6.6 10.4 3.8 381 d Semiregular (SRA)  
β Peg (Scheat) Pegasus Schmidt, 1847 2.31 2.74 0.43 LB  
ε Peg (Enif) Pegasus 0.7 3.5 2.8 LC  
R Peg Pegasus Hind, 1848 6.9 13.8 6.9 378 d Mira variable (M)  
X Peg Pegasus   8.8 14.4 5.8 201 d Mira variable (M)  
β Per (Algol) Perseus Geminiano Montanari, 1669 2.12 3.39 1.27 2.86730 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/SD) (prototype) The Demon Star
DY Persei Perseus R Coronae Borealis / DY Persei / (prototype)
φ Per Perseus   3.96 4.11 0.15 19.5 d Gamma Cassiopeiae (GCAS)  
ρ Per Perseus   3.30 4.0 0.70 ~50 d Semiregular (SRB)  
X Per Perseus   6.03 7.0 0.97 Gamma Cassiopeiae (GCAS+XP)  
ζ Phe (Wurren) Phoenix   3.91 4.42 0.51 1.66977 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/DM)  
R Pic Pictor   6.35 10.1 3.75 171 d Semiregular (SR)  
R Psc Pisces Hind, 1850 7.0 14.8 7.8 345 d Mira variable (M)  
TX Psc Pisces   4.79 5.20 0.42 LB  
L Pup Puppis   2.6 6.2 3.6 141 d Semiregular (SRB)  
RS Pup Puppis   6.52 7.67 1.15 41.3876 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP)  
T Pyx Pyxis   7.0 (B) 15.77 (B) 8.77 (20 years) recurrent nova (NR)  
S Scl Sculptor   5.5 13.6 8.1 363 d Mira variable (M)  
RR Sco Scorpius   5.0 12.4 7.4 281 d Mira variable (M)  
RS Sco Scorpius   6.2 13.0 6.8 320 d Mira variable (M)  
RT Sco Scorpius   7.0 15.2 8.2 449 d Mira variable (M)  
R Sct Scutum Pigott, 1795 4.2 8.6 4.4 146.5 d RV Tauri variable (RVA)  
R Ser Serpens Harding, 1826 5.16 14.4 9.24 356 d Mira variable (M)  
S Ser Serpens Harding, 1828 7.0 14.1 7.1 372 d Mira variable (M)  
U Sge Sagitta   6.45 9.28 2.83 3.38062 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/SD)  
WZ Sge Sagitta   7.0 (B) 15.53 (B) 8.53 (33 years) dwarf nova (UGSU+E+ZZ)  
RR Sgr Sagittarius   5.4 14.0 8.6 336 d Mira variable (M)  
R Sgr Sagittarius   6.7 12.83 6.13 270 d Mira variable (M)  
U Sgr Sagittarius(in M25)   6.28 7.15 0.87 6.74523 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP)  
RT Sgr Sagittarius   6.0 14.1 8.1 306 d Mira variable (M)  
RU Sgr Sagittarius   6.0 13.8 7.8 240 d Mira variable (M)  
RY Sgr Sagittarius   5.8 14.0 8.2 R Coronae Borealis (RCB)  
VX Sgr Sagittarius   6.52 14.0 7.08 732 d Semiregular (SRC)  
λ Tau Taurus Baxendell, 1848 3.37 3.91 0.54 3.95295 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/DM)  
R Tau Taurus Hind, 1849 7.6 15.8 8.2 321 d Mira variable (M)  
T Tau Taurus   9.3 13.5 4.2 Orion variable (INT)  
SU Tau Taurus   9.1 16.86 7.76 R Coronae Borealis (RCB)  
R Tri Triangulum   5.4 12.6 7.2 267 d Mira variable (M)  
R UMa Ursa Major   6.5 13.7 7.2 302 d Mira variable (M)  
T UMa Ursa Major   6.6 13.5 6.9 257 d Mira variable (M)  
U UMa Ursa Major   6.20 6.25 0.05 -  
W UMa Ursa Major   7.75 8.48 0.73 0.3336 d Eclipsing binary W Ursae Majoris type (prototype)  
Z UMa Ursa Major   6.2 9.4 3.2 196 d Semiregular (SRB)  
α UMi (Polaris) Ursa Minor   1.86 2.13 0.27 3.9696 d Classical Cepheid (DCEPS)  
R Vir Virgo Harding, 1809 6.1 12.1 6.0 146 d Mira variable (M)  
S Vir Virgo   6.3 13.2 6.9 375 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

Variable stars
Pulsating
Cepheids and
cepheid-like
Blue-white with
early spectra
Long-period
Other
Eruptive
Protostar and PMS
Giants and
supergiants
Eruptive binary
Other
Cataclysmic
Rotating
Non-spherical
Stellar spots
Magnetic fields
Eclipsing
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