any of a small group of old stars of the class called peculiar variables that maintain nearly uniform brightness for indeterminate lengths of time and then fall abruptly and dramatically in brightness over the course of a few weeks or less, returning slowly and irregularly to their previous level over several months. Such stars are rich in carbon, and it is believed that the fall in brightness is due to the star's emission of carbon, which then condenses to a dense cloud near the star, rather than to a change in luminosity of the star itself. Gradual dissipation of the cloud restores the star's earlier brightness. Details of the process, however, remain to be clarified.