Variable Stars and Double Stars

Stars are constant, or are they?

Stars are those constant points of light in the sky that make up the constellations and asterisms. They may twinkle but they are always there in the same relative positions and at the same brightness. Or are they?

There is a class of stars that does not conform to this stereotype. They are variable stars. These stars do not have constant brightness but change in their brightness, from fractions of a magnitude to twenty orders of magnitude, over time periods of seconds or years.

To find out more about this extraordinary type of star, why not join us.

Members can visit the Variable and the Double Stars pages in the Members Section.

Double Stars.

Here's something for highly light polluted skies, achievable with the simplest of equipment. 

Double stars are referred to as binary stars, some are optical alignments. 

Some are obvious triple groups and some are multiples bound by gravity. 

They can provide colour, contrast and gems to show friends and family.

There are only a few visible by eye, including Theta in Taurus and the optical Mizar Alcor in Ursa Major.