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shell star

A Dictionary of Astronomy | 1997 | 606 words | Copyright

shell star A main‐sequence star with a spectral type in the range B–F whose spectrum contains prominent narrow absorption lines originating in surrounding gas. Shell stars are usually Be stars, in which case both emission and absorption arise in an equatorial disk of ejected gas which we happen to view edge‐on from Earth. As well as showing small‐amplitude changes in brightness, many shell stars also have variable spectra. Pleione, also known as BU Tauri, a member of the Pleiades cluster, is a well‐known example of a shell star, with a range of mag. 4.8–5.5.

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