Luminous Blue Variable Star - List of LBVs

List of LBVs

The identification of LBVs is difficult. Candidates can be identified on the basis of their spectra with a recent survey of M31 cataloguing several hundred, but confirmation requires observation of the characteristic spectroscopic and photometric variations associated with their periodic outbursts and centuries can pass between outbursts.

Recent studies of dense clusters and mass spectrographic analysis of luminous stars have identified dozens of probable LBVs in our own galaxy out of a likely total population of just a few hundred, although few have been observed in enough detail to confirm the characteristic types of variability. In addition the majority of the LBVs in the Magellanic Clouds have been identified, several dozen in M31 and M33, plus a handful in other local group galaxies.

Our galaxy:

• Eta Carinae
• P Cygni
• Pistol Star (associated with the Quintuplet cluster)
• V4650 Sagittarii (FMM 362, another Quintuplet LBV)
• G0.120 0.048 (very close to Quintuplet cluster)
• AG Carinae
• HR Carinae
• Wray 15-571
• V4029 Sagittarii
• V905 Scorpii
• V1672 Aquilae (= AFGL 2298)
• W1-243 (in Westerlund 1)
• V481 Scuti
• GCIRS 34W

LMC:

• S Doradus
• HD 269858 (= R127)
• HD 269006 (= R71)
• HD 269445 (= R99)
• HD 269929 (= R143)
• HD 269662 (= R110)
• S88

SMC:

• HD 5980 (= R14)
• HD 6884 (= R40)

M31:

• AF Andromedae
• AE Andromedae
• Var 15
• Var A-1
• LGGS J004341.84 +411112.0

M33:

• Var 2
• Var 83
• Var B
• Var C
• GR 290 (Romano's star)
• N 93351
• N 125093

A number of candidate LBVs in our galaxy are well known because of their extreme luminosity or unusual behaviour, including:

• Wray 17-96 (unusual hypergiant in the gap between the two semi-stable LBV regions)
• Pistol Star (once thought to be the most luminous star in the galaxy)
• LBV 1806-20 (one of the most luminous stars known)
• Sanduleak -69° 202 (the star that exploded as SN 1987A)
• Cygnus OB2-12 (blue hypergiant)
• HD 80077 (blue hypergiant)
• V1429 Aquilae (with a supergiant companion, very similar to a less luminous Eta Car)

Other well-known stars not currently classified as LBVs but may be transitioning into LBVs, have been LBVs relatively recently, or are LBVs in a stable phase include:

• Zeta-1 Scorpii (naked eye hypergiant)
• IRC+10420 (yellow hypergiant that has increased its temperature into the LBV range)
• V509 Cas (= HR 8752, an unusual yellow hypergiant evolving bluewards)