How common is it in the universe for a solar system or star to be a binary star? or have a twin star?

Question

I've heard from a few people that it is more common for a star to be binary or to have a twin than it is for it to be alone. What I'm really looking for is a reference. Can anyone link me to a trustworthy site that states roughly what percentage of stars are binary? Or just how common it is? And yes, I have Googled it. Thanks for any help!

Answer 1

idk

Answer 2

Try this link. hope this helps.

http://www.astronomical.org/astbook/bina...

Answer 3

Put not thy faith in You Tube!  Binary systems are much more common than we used to think.  It is only in comparatively recent times that we have had the technology and knowledge to distinguish them from any other stars.  Estimates vary as to the percentages.  I have a colleague researching the subject, and his current estimate is about 47% are binary pairs.  Other estimates vary from 30% up to 70%.

Answer 4

go to youtube and look for the Universe series.   I think there is a series talking about the stars.     In there, there was mention about the twin stars is relativey common.

Answer 5

Only, scientists of a reputed space-science organization can give an authentic reply to this question. I wouldn't settle for anything less.

Answer 6

In the solar system there is just one star - the sun

In the universe - hard to tell - we cannot get good detil on the stars at large distances.

However, within the Galaxy ~48% are single stars; 48% are in binaries and the remaining stars are in multiple systems (three or more stars orbiting each other.(errors are 1-2% on those numbers I gave you)

Answer 7

The majority of stars in the milky way are "twin" stars, orbiting around one another.  Binary stars are a bit different, however -- as well as being bound to one another with gravity, they also exchange energy and mass with one another.  Generally, one star will be larger and hotter than the other, leaching its mass/energy from the second star.

Twin stars are merely two suns that orbit around one another, and as I said, most stars have a twin.

There is some speculation about the sun also having a twin.  The theory is that this other star (aptly named 'Nemesis') would currently be so far away that we're unable to observe it.  However, once every few hundred million years or so, it closes in on the sun, moving closer to us because of gravity (an elliptical orbit, in other words -- kind of like the egg shaped orbit of a comet) .  When this happens, it has a devastating effect on the earth, causing disruptions in our orbit, atmosphere, tides, etc.  Obviously it wouldn't be enough to knock the earth out of its current orbit, or else our planet wouldn't still be here, but it could theoretically cause a mass extinction of most life.  In fact, some believe that this is what caused the major extinction events we're discovered to have happened in the earth's history.

Fortunately, there really isn't much evidence supporting the idea of Nemesis.  For one thing, we'd probably see the gravitational effects of the theoretical star on our sun and the orbiting bodies.  It would make for a good movie, but in reality, it's doubtful that Nemesis exists.  Most astronomers don't take the theory seriously.

Hope that helps.  :)

Answer 8

Yeah, when I had to study astronomy, almost every star I studied was binary, so it would seem that it is more common for it to be binary.  Either that, or we just weren't taught about any significant stars that are alone.

Answer 9

You have no life, just like me!

Answer 10

Recent research suggests that a large percentage of stars are part of systems with at least two stars. - Wikipedia

That's because more than half of the stars in our galaxy have a stellar companion. - Space.com

I know I've heard that before too, I think it was on discovery, but I can't seem to find anything extensive on it here.

Answer 11

I heard it's 70%-80%. My source is in German. So it won't help you I guess. He is a professor at a German University though.

Then again on German wikipedia it says that about 50% of the milky way are binary stars.

But here:

http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/press/2006/pr...

(in English =D)

it states that Most Milky Way Stars Are Single

So I'm guessing this question is still up for debate and both sides haven't been proven.