A phase in binary star evolution where one star engulfs its companion, and both stellar cores orbit within the expanded outer atmosphere, typically leading to the ejection of the envelope and a much closer binary system.
From Latin 'communis' meaning 'shared' and Old French 'enveloppe' meaning 'wrapper'. The term was coined in the 1970s as computer simulations began to model this complex evolutionary phase.
Common envelope evolution is like a cosmic dance of death and rebirth—two stars literally sharing the same atmosphere! This dramatic phase can shrink binary orbits from the size of our solar system down to just a few stellar radii in less than a thousand years.
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