R Aquarii’s strange, twisted relationship

As odd couples go, it’s tough to beat the stellar pair at the heart of R Aquarii. This symbiotic binary system comprises a cool red giant and a sizzling white dwarf locked in a 44-year elliptical orbit. The enormous star pulsates in a roughly 390-day period, driving changes in temperature and brightness. It has onlyContinue reading “R Aquarii’s strange, twisted relationship”

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