If so, do you know where I can find how many are in specific solar systems?
2007-03-14 15:19:24 · 14 answers · asked by Derek 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Yes, actually there as many multiple star systems as there are single star systems like ours. The closest one is the Alpha Centauri system. One of the stars, Proxima Centauri, is the closest star to our solar system at about 4.4 light years away.
2007-03-14 15:29:06 · answer #1 · answered by Twizard113 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Interesting answers here. However, in a binary system, it seems unlikely that planets would have orbits around both stars. For example, consider our own solar system and imagine Jupiter as a second star. In this case, the sun would have 7 planets, while Jupiter would have a bunch. (What's the current count for how many moons Jupiter has, anyway?) More generally, EVERYTHING in our solar system revolves around only one object, either the sun or, in the case of a moon, a planet.
Also, I can't see why binary systems would be a severe deterrent to life. The planet would orbit one star, and that would most likely be the star providing most of the light and energy. The other star would likely be much further away and much less bright. It might appear as nothing more than a very bright star, brighter than a full moon although much smaller in appearance.
2007-03-14 16:08:18 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
now, i'm recalling high school class information so i'm not 100% sure about this, but a Solar system is named after the system surrounding a star (the sun is a star and Sol=sun) so there can only be one star in a solar system,
AND
i know that a star forms by the compression of the contents of a nebula, and that means that two stars cannot be that close together, because thier origional contents would have been gavitationally pulled to be mixed into the same nebula and be only one star.
2007-03-14 16:02:25 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most solar systems are not single stars - systems can have 2, 3, 4 and more stars (though more than 4 is rare).
The closest system to ours is the Alpha Centauri system, which actually has 3 stars (Alpha, Beta, and Proxima).
Polaris actually has 4 stars, Sirius has 2, and there are lots of others.
Wikipedia would be a place to start, astronomy.com, or nasa.gov.
2007-03-14 15:57:56 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, many stars are double or triple, and many of these will have planets.
However, it is unlikely any of the planets would be stable enough to have developed advanced lifeforms. The gravitational consequences would be very dramatic, causing any planets to have complex orbits, far different from the benign motions of the planets in our system.
2007-03-14 15:26:04 · answer #5 · answered by nick s 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, in fact the majority of star systems are binary systems.
2007-03-14 15:25:09 · answer #6 · answered by indiana_jones_andthelastcrusade 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes
2007-03-14 15:34:02 · answer #7 · answered by sparkyboy444 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes
2007-03-14 15:22:58 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are many Binary Star systems, but we don't know if planets go around ONE or BOTH or BOTH and BOTH.
In other words, do planets go around each of them AND the both the them.
No one knows for sure, it is theortically possible.
2007-03-14 15:50:18 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I just went to the Kennedy Space Center yesterday the answer is yes. Go to their website.......
2007-03-14 15:26:16 · answer #10 · answered by Kathleen N 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋