COMMISSION 27 OF THE I. A. U.
         INFORMATION BULLETIN ON VARIABLE STARS
                     Number 1697

                                   Konkoly Observatory
                                   Budapest
                                   1979 October 26



     SPECTROSCOPIC AND PHOTOMETRIC VARIATION OF kappa Cas



    Although J.F. Heard (1949, Ap.J.109) did not find any
periodic variation in the observed radial velocities of kappa Cas
(B1 Ia), we have reexamined his observations.
    From this, by means of Fourier transform and a least
squares sine curve, it appeared that the observations could be
fairly well interpreted as periodic variable with a period equal
to               p_RV = 0.14035d
Therefore, we have observed kappa Cas during several nights at the
Hoher List Observatory, with the 36 cm Cassegrain photometric
telescope. After a few hours of continuous observation it became
clear that kappa Cas is really variable, but with a period which
differs remarkably from P_RV (Figure 1).

                       [FIGURE 1]

     From the photometric investigation we have deduced the
following value for the B-light periodic variation:

                 P_photom. = 0.09028d   (+-0.00001)

     kappa Cas shows strong modulation features, which could explain
why radial velocities (and photometric observations) from different 
epochs are hard to reconcile on the basis of a mean period.





                             ERIC W. ELST
                             Royal Observatory
                             at Uccle
                             Ringlaan 3, Ukkel
                             Belgium