What property of stars can be measured only by using binary-star systems?
Question:
What property of stars can be measured only by using binary-star systems?
Binary Stars:
Multiple star systems are peculiar in that they contain a set of several stars gravitationally 'locked' together, such that they orbit around their own center of mass (called barycenter). If only two stars are present, then we call them binary stars. The brightest star in the night sky, Sirius, in Canis Major constellation, has a rather inconspicuous binary star attached to it, both of which revolve around their center of mass.
Answer and Explanation: 1
The laws of gravitation and Kepler's laws of motion can be used to calculate the masses of two stars (stellar mass) locked into orbit around the common center of mass. These pairs of stars are called 'binary stars'. Knowlege of stellar masses is important because they determine the course of the star's life, whether it becomes a red giant or a supergiant, and whether it dies out as a blackhole, a neutron star, or a white dwarf.
Learn more about this topic:
from
Chapter 17 / Lesson 4Stars that revolve around each other due to their gravity are called binary stars. Learn about binary stars, the different types, binary masses, and their orbits.