ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

SX Phoenicis variable

Okay kiddo, so you know how stars twinkle in the sky at night, right? Well, sometimes there are certain kinds of stars that twinkle in a special way, and we call them "SX Phoenicis variables."

So, why do these stars twinkle differently? It has to do with how they change in brightness over time. See, stars don't always stay the same brightness all the time; some of them get brighter and dimmer on a regular basis. Kind of like how your nightlight might switch between a brighter and dimmer setting.

But with SX Phoenicis variables, their brightness changes happen very quickly - like in just a few hours or less. And the amount of change is usually pretty small too, just a few tenths of a percent difference in brightness.

Scientists think there are a few different reasons why these stars behave this way. It could be because of how their internal structure works, or because of interactions with a nearby star or planet. But there's still a lot we don't know about these fascinating little twinklers up in the sky!

Overall, when we see an SX Phoenicis variable in the sky, we know it's a special kind of star that likes to twinkle in a very specific way. Pretty cool, huh?