noun
cataclysmic variable; cataclysmic variable star; CV
Astronomical term for a binary star system that undergoes sudden, dramatic increases in brightness due to accretion onto a white dwarf.
激変星は、白色矮星と伴星からなる連星系です。
A cataclysmic variable is a binary system consisting of a white dwarf and a companion star.
この激変星は数日おきに増光を繰り返す。
This cataclysmic variable repeatedly brightens every few days.
超新星 (supernova) is a much more energetic explosion that destroys the star, unlike cataclysmic variables which can undergo repeated outbursts.
Compound of 激変 (sudden change) + 星 (star), directly describing the dramatic brightness variations characteristic of these objects.