MODULE:KNOWLEDGE-BASE■DATABASE:STELLAR-MECHANICS■CLASS:UNRESTRICTED
SIMULATION: ACTIVE
Binary Pair
Two Stars, One Barycenter
Binary Star System
Star A — Yellow-White (1.8 M☉)Star B — Blue-White (1.0 M☉)Barycenter
System Parameters
Star A mass
1.8 M☉
Star B mass
1.0 M☉
Mass ratio
1.8 : 1
Separation
180 AU
A orbit radius
64 AU
B orbit radius
116 AU
How It Works
Neither star orbits the other — both orbit their shared barycenter, the system's true center of mass. The more massive star orbits closer to it.
The barycenter position depends entirely on the mass ratio. Equal masses place it exactly halfway; unequal masses shift it toward the heavier star.
Planets can achieve stable orbits either very close to one star (S-type) or far enough out to orbit both stars together (P-type).
Planetary Orbits
S-type: tight orbit around a single star
P-type: wide orbit enclosing both stars
Unstable zone between ~3× and ~0.3× separation
Habitable zones may overlap or be disrupted