the.com/tw hydrae
A binary star system where one star is eating its companion in cosmic slow motion.
means A close binary star system in Hydra where a white dwarf is accreting material from an aging red giant, causing irregular outbursts visible from Earth.
from Catalogued in the 19th century as part of the Durchmusterung star surveys; TW is its designation in the variable star naming system (starting with T and U, then AA through AZ, then BA through ZZ for stars in a given constellation).
outburst cycleErupts unpredictably every 170 days to 14 months, brightening tenfold
orbital periodThe two stars orbit each other in approximately 3.3 hours
star typesWhite dwarf pulling hydrogen-rich gas from a red giant companion
visible locationIn Hydra constellation, about 1,600 light-years from Earth