American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) has officially confirmed the discovery of an atypical RS Canum Venaticorum type variable star. The discovery was made by Adam Tużnik, a student of astronomy at the Jagiellonian University, and Gabriel Murawski, an astronomy enthusiast from the Medical University of Bialystok.
The object located in the Andromeda constellation was catalogued as TYC 2836-1816-1. It was first spotted by JU student Adam Tużnik in the Northern Sky Variability Survey Internet database. His associate Gabriel Murawski then performed an analysis of the selected data.
The observed star has a very high degree of variation in its luminosity, which allows it to be seen by non-professional telescopes. The variation is caused by stellar spots on the star’s surface which be alternately appear and disappear due to its rotation. Changes in the spots’ size and position, identifiable by the fluctuations of the luminosity curve, also show their evolution over time.
Discoveries such as this one, made by professional and amateur astronomers alike, help us gain more insight about the nature of such objects in the Universe.
Source: www.urania.edu.pl
