A binary star system consisting of a hot white dwarf and a cool red giant, where the white dwarf accretes material from the giant's stellar wind, creating a complex spectrum combining features of both hot and cool stars. These systems often show irregular variability and occasional nova-like outbursts.
From Greek 'symbiosis' (living together), coined in the 1960s by astronomers studying stars with peculiar spectra showing both hot ionized gas and cool molecular features. The biological metaphor emphasizes the mutually dependent relationship between the two stellar components.
Symbiotic stars are like cosmic vampires where a white dwarf feeds off its red giant companion! The white dwarf doesn't just steal material - it ionizes the giant's atmosphere, creating beautiful emission nebulae that can extend for light-years around the system.
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