Astrology, numerology (mindfulness and justice), the planets, and the vast universe as a whole, has always intrigued us. We all wonder what is there beyond the boundaries of what our eyes can see. Recently, however, Romania has discovered something new that may connect us to the Universe.
Great news right at the beginning of the year. A remarkable scientific discovery took place in Romania. The announcement was made today by the Astronomical Observatory of the “Vasile Pârvan” Bârlad Museum.
Following some astronomical observations of a scientific nature made with the help of the main telescope, at the Astronomical Observatory of the Museum “Vasile Pârvan” Bârlad, was discovered for the first time for our institution the first variable star, which will be named Barlad V1.
The variable star Barlad V1 was discovered in early November 2019, following the processing of test frames for photometric observations. The light curve was reported on December 4, 2019, to the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO)
Variable stars are those stars that change their brightness as a result of processes inside. There are several types of variable stars, Barlad V1 is Delta Shield type. The star is part of the A7V spectral class and varies by about 0.07 magnitudes in 98 minutes.
Barlad V1 is located about 4,000 light-years away in the constellation Perseus.
The second discovery
It is the second important discovery, after the New Red Light from the galaxy Messier 101, which was discovered on February 10, 2015, at the Astronomical Observatory in Bârlad.
The discovery of variable stars is made by astronomical observations with the help of special equipment and software that analyzes the light curve. In recent years, our institution has benefited from several sponsorships from the private sector, as a result of which equipment and accessories necessary for scientific and educational astronomical observations have been purchased.
