double star
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A system of two stars that revolve around each other under their mutual gravitation: A "double star" is a pair of stars that appear close together in the sky and are physically connected by gravity, orbiting a common center of mass.
Usage
- The term "double star" is used in astronomy to describe a binary star system. It is important to distinguish it from stars that merely appear close together from our viewpoint but are not gravitationally bound (which are called "optical doubles").
Examples
- Noun:
- Through the telescope, we observed a beautiful double star in the constellation Cygnus.
- Astronomers study double stars to understand stellar masses and orbits.
Advanced Usage
"Visual double star": A pair of stars that can be seen as separate through a telescope.
- Albireo is a famous visual double star, with components of contrasting colors.
"Spectroscopic double star": A pair of stars so close they can only be distinguished by analyzing their combined light spectrum.
- The star was identified as a spectroscopic double star after detailed spectral analysis.
Variants and Related Words
Binary star: A more precise synonym for a gravitationally bound double star system.
- A binary star is a type of double star.
Optical double: Two stars that appear close together in the sky by chance but are not gravitationally related.
- That pair is merely an optical double, not a true double star system.
Synonyms
- Binary star: A system of two stars orbiting each other.
- Binary system: A general term for any system of two objects orbiting a common center of mass, often used for stars.
Related Phrases
"Eclipsing binary": A type of double star where, from Earth, one star periodically passes in front of the other, causing a dip in brightness.
- Algol is a well-known eclipsing binary.
"Close binary": A double star system where the two stars are very near to each other.
- In a close binary, material can transfer from one star to the other.
Noun
- a system of two stars that revolve around each other under their mutual gravitation