The variable sources responsible for the photometric behaviour of OJ 287 in the IR-optical-UV region during 1993-1996

An analysis is performed of multicolour observations of OJ 287 carried out during the OJ-94 Project. It is found that in the optical region the variab le sources have the same power-law spectrum (F-nu similar to nu(-1.5)) irre spective of flux level. In the IR the spectrum flattens during the flare po ssibly because of synchrotron self-absorption. The comparison of the outbur st of 1994 with those of 1971 and 1983 shows that there is a clear correlat ion between the power of outburst and colour indices of the variable compon ent in each event: the larger is the outburst, the bluer is the variable so urce, i.e, in more powerful outbursts the energy spectrum of relativistic e lectrons is flatter.