Binary Stars – They are some of the most fascinating objects in the night sky. These celestial bodies consist of two stars that orbit each other, bound together by gravity. They offer a unique glimpse into the workings of the universe and have puzzled astronomers for centuries.
One of the most interesting aspects of binary stars is that they allow us to explore the properties of stars more deeply than we could otherwise. By observing the way the stars interact with each other, scientists can measure their masses, radii, and temperatures more accurately.
We can use them to study how stars evolve over time and to observe various stages of this process. For example, binary stars can give us a close-up look at the nebulae that form when a star explodes, providing clues to the underlying physics of these explosive events.
They offer a wealth of information about the universe and are sure to continue to captivate astronomers and stargazers alike for many years to comeThese stellar phenomena are actually quite prevalent within our galaxy and are known to constitute a significant percentage of the entire populations of stars.
The formation of binary stars takes place through the gravitational attraction of two nearby stars. This causes them to rotate around a common centre of mass. Interestingly, some binary star systems may even consist of three or more stars. Giving rise to an incredible cosmic spectacle!
This can range from a pair that is located very near each other to a pair that is separated by a considerable distance. Also, the stars within binary systems can vary in mass and spectral properties, resulting in diverse hues visible in the nighttime sky.
Binary Stars are so special and they represent togetherness as they spend a lifetime together.
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Binary systems can be formed of stars with different masses and ages. Different combinations exist, for example:
Two Sun-like stars / giant star and a Sun-like star / or two white dwarfs or neutron stars /or where one of them is a black hole.
The most massive binary system known is called R144. The lightweight star in this system is about 95 times the mass of our Sun. Plus its heavyweight partner weighs as much as 205 Suns!
As they revolve around each other, binary stars can have either circular or elliptical orbits, thus they trace a circle or an ellipse in the sky.
Some binary stars orbit each other at large distances. Mira, for example, is a system composed of a giant star and a white dwarf. Their separation is about 70 times the distance between Earth and the Sun, and so it takes them about 500 years to complete one orbit.
In contrast, some double stars are very close to each other. HM Cancri, a system formed of two white dwarfs, is so close that they can make one full orbit around each other every 324 seconds!
Some binary stars are so close that they can touch each other. Astronomers call these objects “contact binaries”. These systems may explain the hypothesised peculiar type of star called Thorne–Żytkow object, which is a giant that has at some point gobbled up its neighbouring neutron star.
As one of the stars grows older, it starts losing its material through what astronomers call stellar winds. Its nearby companion can then siphon it in by gravity. This means fresh fuel for the companion, so it gets rejuvenated!
If one of the stars grows old enough to start shedding its outer layers, the companion star will paint, as it moves around it, beautiful spirals in the wind, which we can observe with telescopes such as the Hubble Telescope in space or with ALMA in Chile.
If both stars are elderly, they may lose almost an Earth’s worth of material once every month through stellar winds. These two winds may collide head-on, producing titanic collisions which heat the surrounding gas to multi-million degrees. Such collision radiates brilliantly in X-rays and thus can be detected by telescopes.
Wouldn’t it be cool to have two sunrises and two sunsets every day? Well, on planets that are “parented” by a binary system rather than a single star, this is indeed possible!
There are two types of planet configurations around a binary system.
The planet orbits both stars or orbits only one of the two. Unfortunately, the planets we have found orbiting two stars so far have no possibilities for life as we know it.
The mass of the star during its life determines the type of corpse it leaves behind when it dies.
Light stars become white dwarfs while heavy stars die as neutron stars or black holes.
All of these objects, but especially black holes, are mind-bogglingly dense. When two such objects revolve around each other they cause a small distortion in space-time like ripples in a pond. The denser the object, the stronger the distortion, and this can be measured on Earth as gravitational waves. Spooky!
