Symbiotic Star R Aquarii (artist's impression)
This illustration depicts one possible explanation for R Aquariiàs semi-periodic outbursts. The peculiar behavior of R. Aquarii suggests that the red giant star in the R Aquarii system may spill some of its mass onto the companion - a common mechanism proposed for most nova-like outbursts. The mass transfer process may form an accretion disk: a swirling, flattened vortex of hot gasses that spiral down onto the hot companion. The disk may periodically erupt when the companion becomes overloaded with in-falling material. These explosions may happen only periodically when the white dwarf orbits close enough to pull in material from the staràs outer layer.
Credit:
Dana Berry (STScI)
About the Image
NASA press release
NASA caption
NASA caption
| Id: | opo9015b |
| Type: | Artwork |
| Release date: | 4 October 1990, 05:00 |
| Size: | 2685 x 2059 px |
About the Object
| Name: | IRAS 23412-1533, R Aqr |
| Type: | • Milky Way : Star : Grouping : Binary • Milky Way : Star : Circumstellar Material : Disk : Accretion |
| Distance: | 650 light years |
