Naming Variable Stars
A common method to name variable stars uses a one- or two-letter
sequence of capital letters (or the letter V with a number appended), followed by a
Latin possessive for the constellation. The sequence of letters signifies
the temporal order of
discovery for variable stars in the constellation (with the convention being rather
illogical). Two well-known examples of this naming system are RR Lyrae and T Tauri.
Brighter
variable stars usually go by either their common or their Bayer classification name rather than by the
variable star name. For example,
Betelgeuse is a variable star, but it is almost always called either "Betelgeuse" or
"alpha Orionis."