What does "Long Period Variable Stars" mean?
Table of Contents
- What Makes Them Special?
- How Do We Spot Them?
- The Big Find: A Huge Catalog
- Why Do We Care?
- In Conclusion
Long Period Variable Stars, or LPVs for short, are a special group of stars that like to take their time when it comes to shining. These stars experience changes in brightness over long periods, often lasting several hundred days. If you think of them like a slow-moving drama series, they certainly know how to keep their audience waiting!
What Makes Them Special?
Most LPVs are low to intermediate-mass stars that have reached a later stage in their life. During this time, they become a bit more dramatic, shedding their mass through stellar winds and ejecting gas, which creates a blanket of dust around them. Think of it as them getting cozy in their blankets, but way cooler!
How Do We Spot Them?
Detecting LPVs can be tricky since they often hide behind their dust clouds. However, infrared surveys are like super-powered binoculars that uncover these stars in their dust-enveloped phases. Thanks to these surveys, astronomers have been able to find tons of LPVs in our galaxy.
The Big Find: A Huge Catalog
Recently, a massive catalog of LPVs was created, listing an impressive 159,696 of these stars! With the help of advanced technology, researchers used light data from the Palomar Gattini-IR survey, which observes the night sky regularly. This project has been like a big treasure hunt, and more than 73,000 of the stars in this catalog were discovered for the first time—talk about a stellar surprise!
Why Do We Care?
LPVs are not just pretty to look at; they hold important clues about the life cycles of stars. Their pulsations and changes in brightness can tell astronomers about things like distance and age. They might not give you the Netflix binge-watching thrill, but their secrets make them pretty fascinating in the world of stars!
In Conclusion
Long Period Variable Stars are the slow-paced yet intriguing characters of the stellar world. With their periodic brightness changes and dramatic flair, they remind us that sometimes, the best stories take a bit longer to unfold!