Asked by Dre
How would I compare the orbital period of two stars knowing their distance apart in AU and their solar masses?
Answers
Answered by
drwls
The orbital period will depend upon the total mass of the two stars. Kepler's third law can be written:
Period (years)^2 /(semi-major axis (a.u.))^3
= combined mass (in solar masses)
Period (years)^2 /(semi-major axis (a.u.))^3
= combined mass (in solar masses)
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