COMMISSION 27 OF THE I. A. U.
         INFORMATION BULLETIN ON VARIABLE STARS
                     Number 1562

                                Konkoly Observatory
                                Budapest
                                1979 March 2




        SHORT PERIODIC VARIATION OF ONE NORTHERN
       AND FIVE SOUTHERN BRIGHT EARLY B-TYPE STARS


   During an observation run of 20 nights at E.S.O., with the
Bochum 61-cm photometric telescope, one northern and five southern 
early B-stars have been observed.
   It became immediately clear that, after photometric reduction
all the investigated stars had to be considered as variable. 
Indications for beat-wave phenomena were found in two of these 
objects.
   By comparison of the observations from different. nights, 
approximate periods and variability ranges could be estimated.
   Figure 1 shows, as an example, the short periodic variation
of alpha Mus.

                    [FIGURE 1]


        Table 1
-----------------------------
Star name        P     DeltaV
-----------------------------
20 l CMa      ~~2h     0.020m
chi Car         2h25m  0.015
eta Hya       ~~4h     0.015
Theta^2Cru      2h08m  0.015
delta Cru       3h40m  0.007
alpha Mus       2h10m  0.010
-----------------------------



Table 1 gives information on the observed stars, their periods
and their V-variabilities.
   The mean accuracy during the observation period was 0.003m
(V-magnitude).
   As far as we could deduce from the literature, no short periodic 
variation has been reported before, from these stars.





                           ERIC W. ELST
                      Royal Observatory at Uccle