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| BX Monocerotis | |
|---|---|
| Name | BX Monocerotis |
| Constellation | Monoceros |
| Epoch | J2000 |
| Ra | 07h 21m 46.36s |
| Dec | −10° 36′ 06.6″ |
| App mag v | 10.6–13.8 |
| Spectral type | M4–M8e |
| Variable type | Symbiotic Mira / Long-period variable |
| Period | ~1401 days |
| Distance pc | ~2500 |
BX Monocerotis BX Monocerotis is a long-period, symbiotic Mira-type variable located in the constellation Monoceros. The object has been monitored by amateur and professional observers including AAVSO and studied in surveys such as the Two Micron All-Sky Survey and the Infrared Astronomical Satellite. It occupies interest for researchers working on Mira variables, symbiotic stars, stellar evolution, and circumstellar dust.
BX Monocerotis was cataloged in variable star compilations maintained by the General Catalogue of Variable Stars and later cross-identified in photographic and infrared surveys like the Palomar Observatory Sky Survey and IRAS Faint Source Catalog. Its designation follows the variable star designation convention for the constellation Monoceros, similar to other named variables such as R Monocerotis and V642 Monocerotis. Historical photometric work references observatories including Mount Wilson Observatory, Harvard College Observatory, and later monitoring by the ESO and the NOAO network.
Spectral classifications in the literature place this source among late-type cool giants, often noted as M4 to M8e in different epochs, analogous to other late M giants like those in the catalogs of Henry Draper Catalogue and Bright Star Catalogue. Photometric and parallax constraints from missions including Hipparcos and the Gaia releases provide distance estimates that inform absolute magnitude comparisons with objects in the Asymptotic Giant Branch population and with archetypes such as o Ceti and R Hydrae. Infrared colors from surveys like 2MASS and WISE indicate substantial reddening and circumstellar emission reminiscent of dust-enshrouded objects discussed in studies by groups at Max Planck Institute for Astronomy and the NRAO.
The variability of this star is characterized by very long periods and large amplitudes, placing it among long-period variables cataloged by projects such as the General Catalogue of Variable Stars and monitored by the AAVSO. Time-series photometry from programs run by institutions like CTIO, Siding Spring Observatory, and the ASAS reveal irregularities and cycle-to-cycle amplitude changes comparable to those reported for Mira stars in studies at Mount Stromlo Observatory and the Royal Greenwich Observatory. The light curve has been analyzed using period-search techniques developed at Cerro Tololo and in work by researchers at University of Cambridge and University of California, Berkeley to establish typical pulsation and long secondary period behaviors noted in Mira research.
Optical and near-infrared spectra obtained with instruments at facilities like VLT, Keck Observatory, and Subaru Telescope show molecular bands (TiO, VO) and emission lines (Hα, [O I]) commonly reported in symbiotic and Mira spectra by teams from Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge. Studies referencing spectral atlases from Kitt Peak National Observatory and analysis methods from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics identify episodes of strong emission and absorption changes, indicating pulsation-driven atmospheric dynamics akin to descriptions in papers from University of Tokyo and University of Vienna. Chemical abundance work connects to broader surveys run by groups at CNRS and European Southern Observatory exploring s-process enrichment and dust formation in AGB stars.
BX Monocerotis is classified as a symbiotic system, implying a compact hot companion—usually a white dwarf—interacting with a cool giant, an arrangement examined in symbiotic catalogs compiled by researchers at Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias and Observatoire de Paris. Searches for ultraviolet excess and high-excitation emission via observations from the International Ultraviolet Explorer and the Hubble Space Telescope address the presence of accretion activity common to symbiotic binaries studied by teams at STScI and ESA. X-ray observations by facilities such as ROSAT and Chandra X-ray Observatory have been used in analogous systems to probe accretion shocks, while radial velocity monitoring performed at observatories like Harvard College Observatory and Calar Alto Observatory attempts to constrain orbital parameters.
The evolutionary interpretation places the cool component on the thermally-pulsing Asymptotic Giant Branch with mass-loss processes forming a circumstellar envelope, a scenario modeled in stellar evolution codes developed at institutions including Princeton University, University of Cambridge, and University of Bonn. Models incorporating dust formation and binary interaction from groups at University of Geneva and Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics explore wind Roche-lobe overflow and nova-like outbursts akin to theoretical work by researchers at University of California, Santa Cruz and University of Michigan. Comparisons to well-studied symbiotic Miras such as those in reviews produced by the International Astronomical Union committees inform expectations for future photometric and spectroscopic monitoring by networks like the AAVSO and observatories including Palomar Observatory and La Silla Observatory.
Category:Stars Category:Monoceros