Are there any habitable binary star systems in the Kepler catalog?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the search for habitable binary star systems within the Kepler catalog, specifically focusing on configurations where a secondary star orbits a primary star in a manner that allows for a habitable zone. The inquiry evolves into exploring triple star systems with similar habitable conditions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant seeks binary star systems in the Kepler catalog where the secondary star has a fixed orbit around the primary star, emphasizing the need for a habitable zone and specific stellar classifications (G and K types).
  • Another participant updates their inquiry to consider triple star systems, expressing that binary systems with one star orbiting another are rare and possibly non-existent.
  • Links to examples of known star systems (HD 188753 and 16 Cygni) are provided, suggesting they may fit the criteria discussed.
  • A later reply notes that the configurations of the suggested systems do not perfectly match the desired conditions, particularly regarding the distances of the third star.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the existence of suitable binary star systems, and there is an acknowledgment of the rarity of such configurations. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the optimal conditions for habitable zones in binary or triple star systems.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty about the feasibility of finding binary star systems with the specified characteristics and the implications of star distances on habitability.

Basilisk
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Hi, this is my first post, and it is sort of a complicated question (I think. Perhaps it is easy and I don't know how to solve it).

In the Kepler catalog, are there any binary star systems, where the secondary star orbits the central star that have something close to the following conditions?.

- Can't be like Alpha Centauri where A and B are orbiting around a mass center. I need the secondary star to have a fixed orbit around the primary star (doesn't have to be circular, can be elliptical, the lower the eccentricity the better, though)
- Enough orbital space between the central star and the secondary star orbits to have a habitable zone around the primary star.
- Stars are G and K classes combination (like Alpha Centauri), so there is no photon-cannon around to make carbon based life impossible (no O stars in the vicinity).
- The closest to our Sol system, the better.

Any help will be appreciated.

Also, if there is any good Kepler resource that you guys can point me to, like an online database or such where I can get this information by myself, that would be awesome.

Thanks in advance and sorry for my newbism.
 
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Let me update this. I found that binary stars systems with one star orbiting another are very rare, if not impossible.
So, let me change my question to another kind of star system. I need a triple star system with a habitable zone around the central binary pair, with a third heavier, larger and brighter star orbiting around the central binary pair. Basically, like this:

http://i.minus.com/irobKjqCEbsNE.jpg

Thanks again for any tips on the sun's closest stellar system with that setup.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Yeah, they seem interesting. The only thing is that the third star is orbiting too close in one and too far in the other one. But I will look on them. Thanks a lot.
 

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