TYPES OF STAR A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z           HOME ABOUT CATEGORIES SITE MAP COPYRIGHT ADVERTISE CONTACT entire Web this site binary star The binary star Albireo (Beta Cygni), which consists of two stars orbiting around each other every 7,300 years at a mean distance of about 400 billion miles (650 billion km) Two stars in orbit around their common center of mass and held together by their mutual gravitational pull. Surveys have shown that one star in every two or three is a member of a binary or multiple star system. The two components of a binary system each move in an elliptical orbit around their common center of gravity. The further apart they are, the slower they move. Their orbital periods may be measured in tens, hundreds, or even millions of years. Physical double stars are binaries, whereas optical doubles are not. A visual binary is one whose components can be resolved visually or photographically. An astrometric binary gives itself away by a regular wobble in the motion of a visible component. In a spectroscopic binary, the apparent separation is so small that the presence of two stars can only be deduced from regular changes in the Doppler shift of the stars’ spectral lines. In a close binary the separation is comparable to the diameter of the stars. The question of whether planets in a binary star system could conceivably support life has been widely discussed. See also binary stars, habitable planets of. Related category    • TYPES OF STAR Also on this site: Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy & Sustainable Living Encyclopedia of History Transport Concepts & Designs (partner site) BACK TO TOP