|
|
Binary and Multiple Star Systems
Chandra X-ray image of
Sirius A (upper
right)
and Sirius B (lower
left)
(NASA/SAO/CXC)
|
Stars, like people, are seldom found in isolation. More than 80% of all stars are
members of multiple star systems containing two or more stars. Exactly how these
systems are formed is not well understood. Some are thought to form when a
collapsing cloud of gas breaks apart into two or more clouds which then become
stars, or when one star captures another as a result of a grazing collision, or
by a close encounter with two or more other stars.
The most common multiple star systems are those with two stars. These so-called
binary stars have played an important role in many areas of astronomy, especially
X-ray astronomy.
|
