2007-02-22 02:27:29 · 3 answers · asked by Pooka 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Two stars that appear close to each other are a double star. If it's just a line of sight effect i.e. they look close together but they're not really, they're called an optical double. If they're gravitationaly bound to each other they're just called a binary star.
2007-02-22 02:39:36 · answer #1 · answered by Iridflare 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not exactly--two stars can be very close (say, if they happen to be passing close as they move through space) and not be a binary system.
For a pair of stars to be a binary, they have to be gravitionally linked--that is one star has to actually be orbiting the other (or the two stars may be orbiting a common center of gravity, which is technically the same thing).. In other words, they have to form a stable system, like the Earth and moon do, just on a bigger scale.
2007-02-22 12:45:26 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A binary star is a stellar system consisting of two stars orbiting around their center of mass. See the source link below if you need more details. Cheers!
2007-02-22 10:52:41 · answer #3 · answered by krodgibami 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋