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Cataclysmic Variable Star


Depicts: Catalclysmic variable
Copyright: STScI

This is an illustration of a class of double star called a cataclysmic variable. The system consists of a white dwarf star - a dense, burned-out star that has collapsed to the size of Earth and a companion that is a normal star, similar to but smaller than the Sun.
Last Update: 1 September 2019
13-Apr-2026 18:07 UT

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