Planet at barycenter of a binary system.

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
3 replies · 2K views
vladpaln
Messages
12
Reaction score
0
Say you have a binary system (with similar mass) in the following orbit
160px-Orbit1.gif


with a planet located at the barycenter, is this possible and is this a dynamically stable system (over billion of years) ??

If this system was an Earth like system would I assume correctly that it would not have a nigh but instead a dusk/morning to daytime cycle?

Does anyone have any ideas on how to measure time on such a planet (think bronze age)??
 
Last edited:
Astronomy news on Phys.org
Would the planet end up orbiting the binary stars or get thrown out of the system all together??
 
vladpaln said:
Would the planet end up orbiting the binary stars or get thrown out of the system all together??

It will most likely get into an unstable orbit (outside the hill sphere) around a star and than escape in the long term. You can play with the starting parameters in this simulation.