We present high‐resolution spectra (1.0 km s−1 FWHM) of the circumstellar Ca K line towards β Pictoris obtained on 1997 June 19 and 20. On the former date a strong absorption component was found at a heliocentric velocity of vhelio = +8 km s−1, that is blueshifted by 14 km s−1 with respect to the main, ‘stable’, circumstellar component at vhelio = +22 km s−1. To our knowledge, this is the first detection of a blueshifted Ca ii component with a strength comparable to the more frequently observed redshifted events. On the following night a blueshifted component was still present, but its strength had decreased significantly; in addition, a strong redshifted component had appeared at vhelio = +54 km s−1 which was absent on the previous night. The implications of these observations for the evaporating ‘comet’ model of spectral variations in the β Pictoris disc are discussed.
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