variable star

noun

Definition of variable starnext
as in neutron star

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of variable star This variable star is also located 250 light-years from Earth, but is sadly lost from view in the glare of the sun during the summer months. — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 29 June 2026 Mroz counters, however, that none of those cases are actual microlensing events and instead the mere fluctuations of ordinary variable stars. — Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 4 June 2026 Bradley Schaefer, an astronomer at Louisiana State University, focuses on cataclysmic variable stars, objects that vary in brightness over time due to some type of major turmoil. — Liz Kruesi, Quanta Magazine, 2 Feb. 2026 Many of these alerts will be triggered by variable stars, which cyclically change in brightness. — IEEE Spectrum, 23 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for variable star
Recent Examples of Synonyms for variable star
  1. neutron star
  2. red star
  3. binary star
  4. white dwarf
  5. variable
  6. giant star
Noun
  • Second, the array will track decay pathways that mirror stellar reactions, showing how heavy elements form during supernovae and neutron star collisions.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Previous studies had suggested that the dark object was a neutron star.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of neutron star
Noun
  • After a welcome presentation and cocktail party—Kir Royales in hand—slip into Moments, the onboard restaurant by German Michelin‑starred chef David Görne, whose cooking has held a red star since 2016 and a Green Star for sustainability since 2020.
    — Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • The lunar disk will appear to draw closer to the red light of Antares as the pair track a low arc over the southern horizon, before finally setting at sunrise on May 31, with the red star having transitioned to the top of the silver moon.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 29 May 2026
Definition of red star
Noun
  • The nova also spawned a thick disc of dust that completely obscured the binary star system.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 24 July 2026
  • The study has major implications for studying binary star systems as well.
    — Damien Pine, Scientific American, 21 July 2026
Definition of binary star
Noun
  • Mills found that the white dwarf in V445 Puppis has overcome its stellar indigestion and is once again feeding on its companion helium star.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 24 July 2026
  • The planet either warmed up while engulfed during the red giant phase, or began heating as gravity pulled it closer to the resultant white dwarf.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 1 July 2026
Definition of white dwarf
Noun
  • Persistence is the variable that converts a rare unsafe path into a likely one.
    — Ashish Bhatia, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The biggest variable between now and November is energy, Harker said, and no economic tool allows the administration to control what happens in the Persian Gulf.
    — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
Definition of variable
Noun
  • These small stars also burn cooler and slower than our Sun (let alone a giant star), which means that intelligent, technology-using life has more time to potentially evolve and start sending out radio messages.
    — Kiona N. Smith, Forbes.com, 20 Mar. 2026
  • However, in the nearby Andromeda galaxy, a giant star seems to have taken a very different path.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 15 Feb. 2026
Definition of giant star

Browse Nearby Words

variables
variable star
variable stars
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Cite this Entry

“Variable star.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/variable%20star. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on variable star

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about variable star

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