Page 10, Properties of the Stars: [Previous Page] [Next Page] [Class Home Page] Text Pages 262-266

The Study of Binary Stars is particularly useful obtaining stellar masses.

Types of Binary Stars :

• Apparent -

  
  







True binary stars are gravitationally bound. They do not orbit each other, but their CENTER OF MASS and always opposite each other from that point in space. For any binary pair:




The low mass star (shown as M₁) will have to travel a very large diameter path, a₁, moving quickly. The high mass star (shown as M₂) travels a very small diameter path, a₂, and does so slowly.


• Visual -

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

• Spectroscopic -

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

• Eclipsing -