Be stars uvby{beta} photometry

It is shown that Be stars occupy anomalous positions in the photometric diagrams, which can be explained in terms of the circumstellar continuum radiation contribution to the photometric indices. In the (b-y)_0_-M_V_ plane Be stars appear redder than the non emission B stars, due to the additional reddening caused by the hydrogen free-bound and free-free recombination in the circumstellar envelope.

In the c_0_-M_V_ plane the earlier Be stars present lower c_0_ values than absorption-line B stars, which is caused by emission in the Balmer discontinuity, while the later Be stars deviate towards higher c_0_ values, indicating absorption in the Balmer discontinuity of circumstellar origin.