A binary star whose orbital plane is sufficiently close to our line of sight for partial or total eclipses of at least one of the components to occur. The terms primary and secondary are inconsistently used; in any given system the primary component can be the more luminous, the larger, or the more massive of the two stars. In all systems, primary minimum occurs when the brighter or more luminous star is eclipsed by the fainter secondary. On the basis of the light-curve, eclipsing binaries are divided into three types: Algol stars, Beta Lyrae stars, and W Ursae Majoris stars. Eclipses may also occur in various cataclysmic variables, such as dwarf novae, novae, symbiotic stars, and related types.