—We have searched for luminous blue variables (LBVs) in the galaxy UGC 12588 with Hubble Space Telescope data and selected 9 candidates brighter than m{₅₆₀₆ₖ} < 22ᵐ that are accessible for spectral observation with the 6-meter Russian telescope. For all candidates, the age of the nearest stellar associations was estimated. To date, we have obtained spectra for 6 objects. Based on the analysis of the acquired data, we derived estimates of the interstellar reddening towards the studied sources using the observed Balmer decrement in the spectra of the surrounding nebulae. From the spectrum of the galaxy’s brightest HII region, we determined the abundances of oxygen. Using these measurements, we estimated the metallicity of the gaseous environment and the young stellar population. In the combined spectrum of two closely located objects, s1 and s4 (J232443. 72+412116. 4 and J232443. 77+412116. 3, respectively), we identified blends of lines characteristic of Wolf–Rayet stars. However, these features likely belong to fainter stars in the association that are not spatially resolved from s1 and s4 in our ground-based observations. The spectra of the other three objects did not reveal neither signature features of the LBV stars nor indicators of significant mass loss in a wind. The source s2 (J232441. 99+412110. 2) emerged as the most promising LBV candidate as its spectrum shows broad and strong hydrogen emission lines (Hα with EW ≈ 120 Å). Photometric data from 2020–2024 revealed its brightness variability with an amplitude of Rc = 0. 80 0. 06ᵐ. In contrast, the brightness variations of the other objects in the sample are in the range of 0. 2- 0. 4ᵐ, with a significance not exceeding 5. However, the observed positive correlation between the V - Rc color and the V-band brightness of s2 is more typical of yellow hypergiants than of LBVs. Additional observations, particularly in the infrared range, are required to determine the nature of this object. Such observations will be crucial to check for the presence of a circumstellar dust shell, which is a common feature of yellow hypergiants. This work is partially based on a talk presented at the “Modern Stellar Astronomy—2025” conference.
Solovyeva et al. (Mon,) studied this question.