1966/02/01 by A. W. J. Cousins · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Historical Astronomy and Related Studies #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #Physics #Light curve #Astrophysics #Variable star #Stars #RR Lyrae variable #Orbital elements #Astronomy
paper · pdf · doi:10.1093/mnras/131.3.443
openalex publication_date 1966/02/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
A light curve of the early B-type eclipsing variable δ Pictoris based on 500 photoelectric measures shows that it is of β Lyrae-type with partial eclipses. The light curve, when combined with Thackeray's orbital elements (2), shows that the stars are slightly ellipsoidal (1.08) with minor axes close to 8.6 × 10 6 km and 6.1 × 10 6 km, respectively. Sin i = 0.92, and the masses are 16.3 ⊙ and 8.6 ⊙. The separation is 12.0 × 10 6 km. There is evidence of intrinsic variability and of clouds or rings of absorbing material surrounding the stars.