Constellation Hercules | ||
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Similar DQ Herculis, EF Eridani, U Geminorum, V1500 Cygni, AE Aquarii | ||
AM Herculis is a red dwarf variable star located in the constellation Hercules. This star, along with the star AN Ursae Majoris, is the prototype for a category of cataclysmic variable stars called polars, or AM Her type stars.
History
AM Herculis and was first cataloged in 1923 by Max Wolf and was listed at the time as Veränderlicher 28.1923, which is now AN 28.1923 in the General Catalogue of Variable Stars. It was observed to be an irregular variable star ranging from 12 to 14 in apparent magnitude. In 1976, the astronomer S. Tapia discovered that light from the star is both linearly and circularly polarized, showing that there was a strong magnetic field surrounding the system and revealing that the system was more complex than previously thought.