The period variation of DY Hercules

In this paper the researchers collected 28 times of maximum light including 4 times of those observed at the Xinglong station, the National Astronomical Observation of China between May 27, 2004 and June 1, 2004 and 1 time of maximum light from a 60 cm telescope on May 4, 1984. It found that the O-C point distribution was more completely compared than in any papers published before. The period is decreasing at the rate of about (1.4±0.1)×10⁻⁸ per year, which should not be caused by stellar evolution. It might be only part of a binary orbital light-time variation or other unknown reason. The time scale is longer than Pocs and Szeidl’s suggestion; the star needs more observations before we can be certain of the exact light-time variation.