A Century of Studies of the Object with the B[e] Phenomenon HD 50138
Buroughs H. Miroshnichenko A.S. Danford S. Aarnio A.N. Zharikov S.V. Van Winckel H. Manset N. Raj A. Chojnowski S.D. Rauw G. Khokhlov A.A.
December 2025Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Galaxies
2025#13Issue 6
HD 50138 is a 6.6 mag emission-line B–type star, whose nature is still controversial. It has been thought to be a pre-main-sequence Herbig Be star and an evolved object with the B[e] phenomenon, possibly a mass-transferring binary system. However, it has mostly been studied on short timescales. We collected ∼1000 medium- and high-resolution spectra and available optical photometric data, which cover a time frame from 1981 to 2025, and extended the study from emission lines to a range of absorption lines. A few episodes of dramatic emission-line strength variations were uncovered as well as fast variations of the absorption line widths on timescales of several days. We also found a few previously unreported fadings of the star’s optical brightness seemingly associated with the Hα line profile changes. At the same time, it is still unclear whether the object is a single star or a binary system, as no regular variations of its observed parameters have been detected.
circumstellar matter , emission-line stars , photometry , spectroscopy
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Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina—Greensboro, Greensboro, 27402, NC, United States
Fesenkov Astrophysical Institute, Observatory, 23, Almaty, 050020, Kazakhstan
Instituto de Astronomía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, AP 106, B.C., Ensenada, 22800, Mexico
Instituut voor Sterrenkunde, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D Bus 2401, Leuven, 3001, Belgium
Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Corporation, 65-1238 Mamalahoa Hwy, Kamuela, 96743, HI, United States
Indian Centre for Space Physics, 466 Barakhola, Netai Nagar, West Bengal, Kolkata, 700099, India
Uttar Pradesh State Institute of Forensic Science (UPSIFS), Aurawan, P.O. BanthraUttar Pradesh, Lucknow, 226401, India
NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, 94035, CA, United States
Groupe d’Astrophysique des Hautes Energies, STAR, Université de Liége, Quartier Agora (B5c, Institut d’Astrophysique et de Géophysique), Allée du 6 Août 19cLiége, Sart Tilman, 4000, Belgium
Faculty of Physics and Technology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Al-Farabi Ave., 71, Almaty, 050040, Kazakhstan
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Fesenkov Astrophysical Institute
Instituto de Astronomía
Instituut voor Sterrenkunde
Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Corporation
Indian Centre for Space Physics
Uttar Pradesh State Institute of Forensic Science (UPSIFS)
NASA Ames Research Center
Groupe d’Astrophysique des Hautes Energies
Faculty of Physics and Technology
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