Why Do Variable Stars Like R Hydra Exhibit Unique Color Changes?

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter juan avellaneda
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Stars Variable
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the unique color changes exhibited by variable stars, specifically R Hydra, and the underlying mechanisms that may explain these phenomena. Participants explore the implications of studying variable stars for broader scientific fields, including materials science, while also seeking visual resources related to these stars.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant recalls observing R Hydra as dark orange and inquires about the reasons for its color changes and any theoretical explanations.
  • Another participant notes that variable stars exhibit different colors due to various mechanisms affecting luminosity, linking their study to insights on nuclear fusion and fluid dynamics.
  • A participant mentions the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) as a valuable resource for information on variable stars.
  • There is a discussion about an image of Betelgeuse, with questions raised regarding the interpretation of its colors and structure, including whether the bright yellow region represents the internal core or is merely superficial.
  • One participant speculates about the concentric color layers in the image of Betelgeuse, suggesting a 3D interpretation of the star's structure.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express various viewpoints on the nature of variable stars and their color changes, with no consensus reached on specific theories or interpretations. The discussion includes both agreement on the complexity of the topic and differing interpretations of visual data.

Contextual Notes

Some claims about the mechanisms behind color changes and the implications for materials science remain speculative, and the discussion includes unresolved questions about the visual representation of stars.

Who May Find This Useful

Astronomy enthusiasts, students of astrophysics, and individuals interested in the study of variable stars and their implications in broader scientific contexts may find this discussion relevant.

juan avellaneda
Messages
37
Reaction score
0
hi all
I remember that once i see through a telescope a variable star ( i think it was R hydra) and it sees dark orange , why is that ? And is there some theory that explain this bizarre behaviour ?
I read once in an russian astrobook that the study of this stars will contribute to the progress in materials science .Are there real examples of this ?
And finally , can you provide me a website that show a photo of this stars at his minima and maxima??
tnx
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org
Variable stars come in all different colors. There are actually a number of different mechanisms that can produce variation in luminosity.

Studying variable stars gives us information on the way stars work, which gives us information on the way nuclear fusion and fluid dynamics and so on work.

As far as photographs, I'm not sure. Most astronomers would have little use for raw photographs, and would prefer to look at a compiled graph, called a "light curve," that shows the star's luminosity as a function of time.

- Warren
 
Mira, the wonderful

Here is a direct image of Betelgeuse , taken with the Hubble Space Telescope, and here is one of Mira. Both are red, and Mira is a very well known variable.

AAVSO, the American Association of Variable Star Observers - which, despite its name, is international in its scope - is an excellent source of information about variable stars, especially for beginners and amateurs.
 
Betelgeuse

im looking at the great Betelgeuse picture
im wondering if the bright yellow region is the internal core of the star?? or
everithing is just superficial
so we need to see this picture in 3D ?
 
juan avellaneda said:
im looking at the great Betelgeuse picture
im wondering if the bright yellow region is the internal core of the star?? or
everithing is just superficial
so we need to see this picture in 3D ?
The image is a little fuzzy, because the HST is being pushed to its very limits in terms of resolution. The colours are not real; the colour of Betelgeuse is the same as you'd see it in a defocussed image of the star in a medium-sized amateur telescope, white with a reddish tinge. The only part of the star imaged is its photosphere, the same as the 'visible surface' of the Sun. As the caption says, part of the photosphere (just off-centre) seems to be a bright hotspot. Note that this picture was taken in the UV part of the spectrum (255nm and 280nm, bandwidth 30nm).
 
image

let me guess... the limit of the star is the medium size yellow circle in this picture, and the red part is the outer atmosphere??
but the "circles" are very concentric, first red,then orange,yellow to almost white... that was that suggest me the 3D interpretation
anyway is a nice picture
 

Similar threads

High School Infrared Detectors & The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics
  • · Replies 152 ·
6
Replies
152
Views
12K
Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 261)
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K