Australian Sky & Telescope

Binary orbits explored

We now accept the premise that most close double stars are not random alignments but binary pairs gravitationally bound in orbit about each other. But this realisation did not come easily.

Prior to about 1800, astronomers mostly regarded double stars as curiosities, the

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Australian Sky & Telescope

Australian Sky & Telescope11 min read
DAWN Of The Milky Way
We live in a great galaxy, one that’s far larger and brighter than most others in the cosmos. Abounding with countless stars and surrounded by dozens of satellite galaxies, the Milky Way is a giant barred spiral with a dark matter halo spanning some
Australian Sky & Telescope2 min read
Catching The Tail End
The months of August and September are very light-on for meteor activity for southern observers. Our friends in the northern half of the planet are fortunate to be treated to the Perseids shower — which has its maximum on the morning in August 13 — b
Australian Sky & Telescope8 min read
One-dimensional Apodising Mask
Observers use aperture masks to improve the view through a telescope, particularly under unsteady seeing. Such masks tend to fall into one of three categories. The first is off-axis, or stop-down, masks. These reduce the aperture to minimise the blur

Related Books & Audiobooks