<p>As the title of the <a href="https://www.eso.org/public/archives/releases/sciencepapers/eso1148/eso1148.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">research paper</a> linked to in the ESO press release is "<em>An incisive look at the symbiotic star SS Leporis</em>", it is safe to conclude that they are the same type of star. My suspicion is that, since symbiotic stars transfer and accrete mass via either Roche-lobe overflow or stellar wind overflow, the term "vampire star" was coined as part of the press release as a "cute" way to imply that one star is "feeding" on another.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-13T05:12:26.200Z
2018-11-13T05:12:26.200Z
astrosnapper
<p>Are Vampire Stars and Symbiotic Stars the same type of star or is there a difference?  </p>

<p>Vampire Stars siphon off hydrogen from its neighbour.  According to <a href="https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~kenyon/ss/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~kenyon/ss/</a>, Symbiotic Stars seem like the same description.  </p>

<p>"In all systems, the hot component - a main sequence star, a white dwarf, or a neutron star - accretes material lost by the red giant." (Harvard)</p>

<p>SS Leporis has been described as Symbiotic Star and in some places as Vampire Stars.  </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-13T15:32:30.623Z
AFAIK all those are roch-lobe overflow binaries, and nothing more.
AtmosphericPrisonEscape
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-05T01:13:01.187Z
Can you tell us where you've heard the term "vampire star" used before? As I understand it, "symbiotic binary" is a technical term; "vampire star" is almost certainly just something used in magazine articles.
HDE 226868
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-05T10:14:28.590Z
Am pretty certain that I first time I heard it was watching episode 5... https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1832668/episodes?season=5 .  The term Vampire Star is used by a lot of places including E.S.O. https://www.eso.org/public/unitedkingdom/news/eso1148/  .  I'm trying work out if they're terms for the same thing.
MiscellaneousUser
<star>
Are Symbiotic and Vampire Stars the same type of star or different?
MiscellaneousUser
# Are Symbiotic and Vampire Stars the same type of star or different?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-11-05)

Are Vampire Stars and Symbiotic Stars the same type of star or is there a difference?

Vampire Stars siphon off hydrogen from its neighbour. According to <https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~kenyon/ss/>, Symbiotic Stars seem like the same description.

"In all systems, the hot component - a main sequence star, a white dwarf, or a neutron star - accretes material lost by the red giant." (Harvard)

SS Leporis has been described as Symbiotic Star and in some places as Vampire Stars.

**Tags:** star
> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Can you tell us where you've heard the term "vampire star" used before? As I understand it, "symbiotic binary" is a technical term; "vampire star" is almost certainly just something used in magazine articles.  
> **username_0**: Am pretty certain that I first time I heard it was watching episode 5... https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1832668/episodes?season=5 .  The term Vampire Star is used by a lot of places including E.S.O. https://www.eso.org/public/unitedkingdom/news/eso1148/  .  I'm trying work out if they're terms for the same thing.  
> **username_1**: AFAIK all those are roch-lobe overflow binaries, and nothing more.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-11-13. Score: 0 | Accepted answer

As the title of the [research paper](https://www.eso.org/public/archives/releases/sciencepapers/eso1148/eso1148.pdf) linked to in the ESO press release is "*An incisive look at the symbiotic star SS Leporis*", it is safe to conclude that they are the same type of star. My suspicion is that, since symbiotic stars transfer and accrete mass via either Roche-lobe overflow or stellar wind overflow, the term "vampire star" was coined as part of the press release as a "cute" way to imply that one star is "feeding" on another.


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