, there are over 52,011 known variable stars, with more being discovered regularly, so a complete list of every single variable is impossible at this place (cf. GCVS). The following is a list of variable stars that are well-known, bright, significant, or otherwise interesting.
Designation (name)ConstellationDiscoveryApparent magnitude (Maximum)(visual magnitude, unless marked (B) (= blue) or (p) (= photographic))Apparent magnitude (Minimum)(visual magnitude, unless marked (B) (= blue) or (p) (= photographic))Range of magnitudePeriodTypeComment R And Andromeda 5m.8 14m.9 d Mira variable (M) S And (Supernova 1885) Ernst Hartwig, August 20, 1885 5m.8 16m Supernova (SNI) U Ant Antlia 8m.1 (p) 9m.7 (p) LB θ Aps Apus 6m.4 (p) 8m.6 (p) d Semiregular (SRB) η Aql (Pagru) Aquila Pigott, 1784 3m.48 4m.39 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP) R Aql 5m.5 12m.0 d Mira variable (M) V Aql 6m.6 8m.4 d Semiregular (SRB) R Aqr Aquarius Karl Ludwig Harding, 1810 5m.8 12m.4 d Mira variable (M) T Aqr 7m.2 14m.2 d Mira variable (M) U Ara Ara 7m.7 14m.1 d Mira variable (M) R Ari Aries 7m.4 13m.7 d Mira variable (M) U Ari 7m.2 15m.2 d Mira variable (M) ε Aur (Almaaz) Auriga Johann Heinrich Fritsch, 1821 2m.92 3m.83 27.08 years Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/GS) R Aur 6m.7 13m.9 d Mira variable (M) AE Aur 5m.78 6m.08 Orion variable (INA) R Boo Boötes 6m.2 13m.1 d Mira variable (M) W Boo (Alrumh) 4m.73 5m.4 d Semiregular (SRB:) X Cam Camelopardalis 7m.4 14m.2 d Mira variable (M) VZ Cam 4m.80 4m.96 d Semiregular (SR) R Cap Capricornus Hind, 1848 9m.4 14m.9 d Mira variable (M) η Car Carina Burchell, 1827 -0m.8 7m.9 S Doradus (SDOR) "The unpredictable supergiant" l Car 3m.28 4m.18 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP) R Car 3m.9 10m.5 d Mira variable (M) S Car 4m.5 9m.9 d Mira variable (M) γ Cas (Tiansi) Cassiopeia 1m.6 3m.0 Gamma Cassiopeiae (GCAS) R Cas 4m.7 13m.5 d Mira variable (M) S Cas 7m.9 16m.1 d Mira variable (M) W Cas 7m.8 12m.5 d Mira variable (M) WZ Cas 6m.3 8m.5 Semiregular (SRB) Visual double star, visible through binoculars R Cen Centaurus 5m.3 11m.8 d Mira variable (M) S Cen 9m.2 (p) 10m.7 (p) d Semiregular (SR) T Cen 5m.5 9m.0 d Semiregular (SRA) V645 Cen (Proxima Centauri) 12m.1 (B) 13m.12 (B) UV Ceti (UV) δ Cep Cepheus John Goodricke, 1784 3m.48 4m.37 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP) prototype double star, visible in binocularsVegaLyra-0m.020m.07 dDelta Scuti variableBrightest variable star in the sky. μ Cep (Herschel's Garnet Star) Cepheus William Herschel, 1782 3m.43 5m.1 d Semiregular (SRC) S Cep Cepheus 7m.4 12m.9 d Mira variable (M) T Cep 5m.2 11m.3 d Mira variable (M) U Cep 6m.75 9m.24 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/SD) SS Cep 8m.0 (p) 9m.1 (p) d Semiregular (SRB) ST Cep 7m.8 NoneMira variable (M) AR Cep 7m.0 7m.9 Semiregular (SRB) ο Cet (Mira) Cetus David Fabricius, 1596; variability may have been first noted by Johannes Fokkes Holwarda, 1638 2m.0 10m.1 d Mira variable (M) "The miraculous" The first discovered non-ephemeral/cataclysmic variable star. T Cet 5m.0 6m.9 d Semiregular (SRC) U Cet 6m.8 13m.4 d Mira variable (M) W Cet 7m.1 14m.8 d Mira variable (M) R Cha Chamaeleon 7m.5 14m.2 d Mira variable (M) R CMa Canis Major 5m.70 6m.34 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/SD) VY CMa 6m.5 9m.6 unique (*) FW CMa 5m.00 5m.50 Gamma Cassiopeiae (GCAS) S CMi 6m.6 13m.2 d Mira variable (M) R Cnc Cancer 6m.07 11m.8 d Mira variable (M) S Cnc Hind, 1848 8m.29 10m.25 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/DS) T Cnc Hind, 1850 7m.6 10m.5 d Semiregular (SRB) X Cnc 5m.6 7m.5 d Semiregular (SRB) T Col Columba 6m.6 12m.7 d Mira variable (M) R Com Coma Berenices 7m.1 14m.6 d Mira variable (M) α CrB (Alphecca or Gemma) Corona Borealis 2m.21 (B) 2m.32 (B) d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/DM) R CrB Piggott, 1795 5m.71 14m.8 R Coronae Borealis (RCB) S CrB 5m.8 14m.1 d Mira variable (M) T CrB (Blaze Star) 2m.0 10m.8 (80 years) recurrent nova (NR) U CrB 7m.66 8m.79 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/SD) V CrB 6m.9 12m.6 d Mira variable (M) W CrB 7m.8 14m.3 d Mira variable (M) R Cru Crux 6m.40 7m.23 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP) R Crv Corvus 6m.7 14m.4 d Mira variable (M) χ Cyg Cygnus Kirch, 1686 3m.3 14m.2 d Mira variable (M) R Cyg 6m.1 14m.4 d Mira variable (M) U Cyg 5m.9 12m.1 d Mira variable (M) W Cyg 6m.80 (B) 8m.9 (B) d Semiregular (SRB) X Cyg 5m.85 6m.91 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP) RT Cyg 6m.0 13m.1 d Mira variable (M) SS Cyg 7m.7 12m.4 (49.5 d) dwarf nova UGSS prototype SU Cyg 6m.44 7m.22 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP) CH Cyg 5m.60 8m.49 Z Andromedae (ZAND+SR) R Del Delphinus 7m.6 13m.8 d Mira variable (M) U Del 7m.6 (p) 8m.9 (p) d Semiregular (SRB) EU Del 5m.79 6m.9 d Semiregular (SRB) β Dor Dorado 3m.46 4m.08 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP) S Dor 8m.6 (B) 11m.5 (B) S Doradus (SDOR) (prototype) in the Large Magellanic Cloud R Dra Draco 6m.7 13m.2 d Mira variable (M) T Eri Eridanus 7m.2 13m.2 d Mira variable (M) R For Fornax 7m.5 13m.0 d Mira variable (M) η Gem (Propus) Gemini 3m.15 3m.9 d Semiregular (SRA+EA) ζ Gem (Mekbuda) 3m.62 4m.18 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP) R Gem Hind, 1848 6m.0 14m.0 d Mira variable (M) S Gem Hind, 1848 8m.0 14m.7 d Mira variable (M) T Gem Hind, 1848 8m.0 15m.0 d Mira variable (M) U Gem 8m.2 14m.9 (105.2 d) dwarf nova (UGSS+E) S Gru Grus 6m.0 15m.0 d Mira variable (M) α Her (Rasalgethi) Hercules William Herschel, 1759 2m.74 4m.0 Semiregular (SRC) g Her (30 Her) 4m.3 6m.3 d Semiregular (SRB) u Her (68 Her) 4m.69 5m.37 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/SD) S Her 6m.4 13m.8 d Mira variable (M) U Her 6m.4 13m.4 d Mira variable (M) X Her 7m.5 (p) 8m.6 (p) d Semiregular (SRB) R Hor Horologium 4m.7 14m.3 d Mira variable (M) U Hor 7m.8 (p) 15m.1 (p) d Mira variable (M) R Hya Hydra Maraldi, 1704 3m.5 10m.9 d Mira variable (M) S Hya Hind, 1848 7m.2 13m.3 d Mira variable (M) U Hya 7m.0 (B) 9m.4 (B) ~450 d Semiregular (SRB) VW Hya 10m.5 14m.1 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/SD) BL Lac Lacerta 12m.4 (B) 17m.2 (B) BLLAC prototype originally thought to be a variable star, but later discovered to be a blazar R Leo Leo J.A. Koch, 1782 4m.4 11m.3 d Mira variable (M) R Lep Lepus 5m.5 11m.7 d Mira variable (M) Hind's Crimson Star RX Lep 5m.0 7m.4 ~60 d Semiregular (SRB) R LMi Leo Minor 6m.3 13m.2 d Mira variable (M) RU Lup Lupus 9m.6 (p) 13m.4 (p) Orion variable (INT) β Lyr (Sheliak) Lyra John Goodricke, 1784 3m.25 4m.36 d Eclipsing binary Beta Lyrae type (prototype) R Lyr (Niandao) 3m.88 5m.0 ~46 d Semiregular (SRB) RR Lyr 7m.06 8m.12 d RR Lyrae variable (prototype) U Mic Microscopium 7m.0 14m.4 d Mira variable (M) U Mon Monoceros 6m.1 (p) 8m.8 (p) d RV Tauri variable (RVB) V Mon 6m.0 13m.9 d Mira variable (M) R Nor Norma 6m.5 (p) 13m.9 (p) d Mira variable (M) T Nor 6m.2 13m.6 d Mira variable (M) R Oct Octans 6m.4 13m.2 d Mira variable (M) S Oct 7m.2 14m.0 d Mira variable (M) V Oph Ophiuchus 7m.3 11m.6 d Mira variable (M) X Oph 5m.9 9m.2 d Mira variable (M) RS Oph 4m.3 12m.5 recurrent nova (NR) BF Oph 6m.93 7m.71 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP) α Ori (Betelgeuse) Orion John Herschel, 1840 0m.0 1m.3 6.39 years Semiregular (SRC) δ Ori (Mintaka) John Herschel, 1834 2m.14 2m.26 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/DM) R Ori Hind, 1848 9m.05 13m.4 d Mira variable (M) U Ori 4m.8 13m.0 d Mira variable (M) W Ori 8m.2 (p) 12m.4 (p) d Semiregular (SRB) VV Ori 5m.31 5m.66 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/KE:) CK Ori 5m.9 7m.1 ~120 d Semiregular (SR:) κ Pav Pavo 3m.91 4m.78 d Type II Cepheid (CW) S Pav 6m.6 10m.4 d Semiregular (SRA) β Peg (Scheat) Pegasus Schmidt, 1847 2m.31 2m.74 LB ε Peg (Enif) 0m.7 3m.5 LC R Peg Hind, 1848 6m.9 13m.8 d Mira variable (M) X Peg 8m.8 14m.4 d Mira variable (M) β Per (Algol) Perseus Geminiano Montanari, 1669 2m.12 3m.39 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/SD) (prototype) The Demon Star DY Persei R Coronae Borealis / DY Persei / (prototype) φ Per (Dajiangjunbei) 3m.96 4m.11 d Gamma Cassiopeiae (GCAS) ρ Per 3m.30 4m.0 ~50 d Semiregular (SRB) X Per 6m.03 7m.0 Gamma Cassiopeiae (GCAS+XP) ζ Phe (Wurren) Phoenix 3m.91 4m.42 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/DM) R Pic Pictor 6m.35 10m.1 d Semiregular (SR) R Psc Pisces Hind, 1850 7m.0 14m.8 d Mira variable (M) TX Psc 4m.79 5m.20 LB L2 Pup Puppis 2m.6 6m.2 d Semiregular (SRB) RS Pup 6m.52 7m.67 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP) T Pyx Pyxis 7m.0 (B) 15m.77 (B) (20 years) recurrent nova (NR) S Scl Sculptor 5m.5 13m.6 d Mira variable (M) RR Sco Scorpius 5m.0 12m.4 d Mira variable (M) RS Sco 6m.2 13m.0 d Mira variable (M) RT Sco 7m.0 15m.2 d Mira variable (M) R Sct Scutum Pigott, 1795 4m.2 8m.6 d RV Tauri variable (RVA) R Ser Serpens Harding, 1826 5m.16 14m.4 d Mira variable (M) S Ser Harding, 1828 7m.0 14m.1 d Mira variable (M) U Sge Sagitta 6m.45 9m.28 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/SD) WZ Sge 7m.0 (B) 15m.53 (B) (33 years) dwarf nova (UGSU+E+ZZ) RR Sgr Sagittarius 5m.4 14m.0 d Mira variable (M) R Sgr 6m.7 12m.83 d Mira variable (M) U Sgr Sagittarius(in M25) 6m.28 7m.15 d Classical Cepheid (DCEP) RT Sgr Sagittarius 6m.0 14m.1 d Mira variable (M) RU Sgr 6m.0 13m.8 d Mira variable (M) RY Sgr 5m.8 14m.0 R Coronae Borealis (RCB) VX Sgr 6m.52 14m.0 d Semiregular (SRC) λ Tau (Bibing) Taurus Baxendell, 1848 3m.37 3m.91 d Eclipsing binary Algol type (EA/DM) R Tau Hind, 1849 7m.6 15m.8 d Mira variable (M) T Tau 9m.3 13m.5 Orion variable (INT) SU Tau 9m.1 16m.86 R Coronae Borealis (RCB) R Tri Triangulum 5m.4 12m.6 d Mira variable (M) R UMa Ursa Major 6m.5 13m.7 d Mira variable (M) T UMa 6m.6 13m.5 d Mira variable (M) U UMa 6m.20 6m.25 - W UMa 7m.75 8m.48 d Eclipsing binary W Ursae Majoris type (prototype) Z UMa 6m.2 9m.4 d Semiregular (SRB) α UMi (Polaris) Ursa Minor 1m.86 2m.13 d Classical Cepheid (DCEPS) R Vir Virgo Harding, 1809 6m.1 12m.1 d Mira variable (M) S Vir 6m.3 13m.2 d Mira variable (M)
Notes
References David H. Levy, Observing variable stars : a guide for the beginner General Catalogue of Variable Stars
See also
Lists of astronomical objects Lists of stars List of semiregular variable stars List of stars that have unusual dimming periods