Speedy Mic

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Authors: Susanne M Hoffmann

A V band light curve for BO Microscopii, adapted from Cutispoto et al., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, vol 4419, January 1997
Doppler maps of the highly active star BO Mic ('Speedy Mic') at different rotation phases (indicated on top of the maps). Spot coverage is rendered as black, dark and light orange areas, representing 100%, 67% and 33% spot coverage, respectively. A few spots are near the visible pole, while most spots are asymmetrically distributed at mid-latitudes. The blue circle indicates the flare observed in October 2006 using ESO's VLT and ESA's XMM-Newton satellite. Grid lines mark latitudes and longitudes in 30 degrees steps.

Speedy Mic is a modern star name adopted by the International Astronomical Union in the IAU-Catalog of Star Names (IAU-CSN). Its origin is modern astrophysics language (English). It is the name of the star V* BO Mic in constellation Microscopium.

Concordance, Etymology, History

The variable star V* BO Mic is a red (K-type) flare star with outbursts of high energy (X-ray, UV) and an extraordinarily rapid rotation: its radius equaling that of our Sun, it completes a rotation in 0.38 days (instead of ~25).

The nearby young star at V=9.4mag has been nicknamed "Speedy Mic" in astrophysics, because it was the fastest rotating single dwarf star known (Prot=0.38d).

There is no nebula - just a single star.

Mythology

no mythology

IAU Working Group on Star Names

The name was approved by the IAU WGSN in 2026, following a SIMBAD suggestion. The name had been popular already before the adoption; it regularly appears in paper titles: first Bromage+1992(1992ASPC...26...80B), then 1993MNRAS.265..941A ,  1997IBVS.4419....1C   ,2001MNRAS.324..231B ,  2005A&A...435..261W , 2005MNRAS.364..137B , 2006MNRAS.373.1308D , 2006MNRAS.365..530D.

Reference

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