How do I show that 2 binary stars share the same period of orbit?

Question

Thanks in advance

Answer 1

Here is the truthful answer..astronomers can actually see the two stars orbiting each other. This is called visual binary.It is a fact that both stars in a binary system are in motion because: they orbit each other in a mutual gravitational attraction, and orbitual motions obey Kepler's third law as formulated by Sir issac Newton. This law can be written as follows:Kepler's third law for binary law systems: M1+M2=a3 over p2 this means:M1,M2=masses of twostars in binary system, in solar masses a cubed= semimajor axis of one star's orbit around the other, in AU and p= orbital period,in years. This is all you need to known to prove it.

Answer 2

An orbit traverses 360 degrees of the circle around what ever it is orbiting. If the orbital period is measured, then a starting point is chosen and when the object returns to that point, one orbit has occurred. Suppose the position at 0 degrees is picked for object one, and its period is measured by its return to the 0 degree position. By default, the other object is in the 180 degree position, and when object one returns to the 0 degree position, the second object will at the same time return to the 180 degree position. They have the same orbital period to each other, whether the center of the orbit lies within one object or between the two.

An orbital period describes the relationship between two objects, not just a single object. A single object does not have an orbital period.

;-D It's all in the point of view.

Answer 3

Hmmm. When I first read that question, I thought that it is very very unlikely that two stars would share the same orbit. They would have to have almost the exact same amount of mass and thier oribits would be almost circular and the baricenter would be half way between them..

Are you asking how to show that two stars share the exact same orbit, or are you asking how to show that two stars orbit each other, but not necessarily the same orbit?

Edited Note: "OOps". My mistake. I missed the word "period" in the question. Two stars orbiting each other will have the same period, regardless of what orbit they are in. The one less massive and farther away will move faster, but will complete its 360 degree orbit in the same amount of time as the slower and heavier star does.

Answer 4

The barycenter is the center of mass of two or more celestial bodies that are orbiting each other. When a moon orbits a planet, or a planet orbits a star, both bodies are actually orbiting around their barycenter; that is, the barycenter is one of the foci of the elliptical orbit of each body.

Answer 5

. GQ