A Dwarf Nova (IMAGE)

California Institute of Technology

A Dwarf Nova

Caption

This is an image of a dwarf nova, which is a star system where material flows from a red giant star to a dense, compact star called a white dwarf. The flowing material triggers explosions that cause the system to flare up as seen from Earth. The graph shows the change in brightness of this system over a period of seven years. The images at the top show the nova at its brightest and dimmest, as indicated in the plot. Such systems are important for understanding stellar evolution, and the CRTS team has discovered nearly a thousand of them‑‑more than any other survey.

Credit

The CRTS Survey Team, Caltech

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