Cataclysmic Variable Stars

Cataclysmic variable stars are binary star systems where a white dwarf and a companion star orbit each other closely. Material from the companion star is pulled onto the white dwarf, creating an accretion disk. Periodically, this buildup causes dramatic brightness increases, known as outbursts or novae, due to explosive reactions on the white dwarf’s surface. These systems are important for studying stellar evolution and accretion physics, and their unpredictable brightness changes make them fascinating objects for astronomers.