Beta Comae Berenices [SEP] constellation
Beta Comae Berenices
Beta Comae Berenices (β Comae Berenices, β Com) is a main sequence dwarf star in the northern constellation of Coma Berenices. It is located at a distance of about from Earth. The Greek letter beta (β) usually indicates that the star has the second highest visual magnitude in the constellation. However, with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.3, this star is actually slightly brighter than α Comae Berenices. It can be seen with the naked eye, but may be too dim to be viewed
Comae Berenices class of variable stars and the star in which the "flip-flop phenomenon" was discovered. FS Comae Berenices is a semi-regular variable, a red giant with a period of about two months whose magnitude varies between 6.1 and 5.3. R Comae Berenices is a Mira variable with a maximum magnitude of almost 7. There are 123 RR Lyrae variables in the constellation, with many in the M53 galaxy. One of these stars, TU Comae Berenices, may have a binary system. The M100 galaxy contains