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365 Days of Astronomy - Weekly Edition Podcast
Ep. 783: Cataclysmic Variable Stars

Ep. 783: Cataclysmic Variable Stars

365 Days of Astronomy - Weekly Edition vor 7 Monaten

Full Raw Episode with Q&A

0:00

51:33

Hosted by: Fraser Cain
(@frasercain) and Dr. Pamela L.
Gay (@CosmoQuest)

Streamed live on Feb 16, 2026.

There are many types of variable stars. Today we’re gonna talk
about cataclysmic variable stars, which are the result of a white
dwarf stealing material from a companion star. And this whole
process makes supervillain Pamela happy. Gravity is the weakest
force, but on the scales of stars, it is capable of great
violence. In this episode, we look at the wild physics of
cataclysmic variables: binary star systems where one star is a
predatory compact stellar remnant, while the other is a
victimized normal star.

Image credit: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss

This show is supported through people like you on
Patreon.com/AstronomyCast

In this episode, we'd like to thank: Burry Gowen, Eric Lee,
Jeanette Wink, Michael Purcell, Andrew Poelstra, David, David
Rossetter, Ed, Gerhard Schwarzer, Jason Kwong, Joe McTee, Sergey
Manouilov, Siggi Kemmler, Sergio Sancevero