Binary Star Systems in Starbound?

Discussion in 'Starbound FAQs, Q&A, and General Help' started by Alanzer-DNA, Jan 20, 2013.

  1. Alanzer-DNA

    Alanzer-DNA Scruffy Nerf-Herder

    I haven't found any thread like it, so...
    This is my question:
    Will we be able to find binary star systems such as Alpha Centauri in Starbound?

    It would be very interesting to be in a planet orbiting a binary star system, because this would mean a great change in the day-night period duration.

    EDIT: Okay, I just have found out that our fellows Caidoz and natelovesyou mentioned it in a new thread from yesterday, in General Discussion:
    Although, this still doesn't change my question. Will there be Binary Star Systems or not? :)
     
  2. Anris

    Anris Phantasmal Quasar

    Well it would be logical to put them in, since binary systems seem to be the norm.
    There are also systems with 3 stars that orbit each other in strange ways.
    Thou I don't think a planet in a binary would be a quiet place.
     
    Alanzer-DNA likes this.
  3. Alanzer-DNA

    Alanzer-DNA Scruffy Nerf-Herder

    Yup! I think the same.
    In my opinion, worlds orbiting a binary or a triple star system would be pretty difficult worlds... A whole challenge! And I love how it sounds.
    Therefore, I hope they will be included in the game!
     
  4. Meeses

    Meeses Void-Bound Voyager

    I for one would love to see binary systems. I like the idea of them adding a challenge to the planets in the system. For a long time I've been hoping for multiple stars orbiting in one system so I can make a homeworld there and have a nice view lol.
     
  5. Alanzer-DNA

    Alanzer-DNA Scruffy Nerf-Herder

    The view would be, with no doubt, amazing. Too bad the enviroment there would be so murderous! :rofl:
    But yeah, it sounds kind of crazy, but I will make an impossible planet my damn homeworld :cool:
    No one would ever dare touch mah world!
     
    Meeses likes this.
  6. Zisi

    Zisi Phantasmal Quasar

    Fortunately not true actually! The majority of binary+ star systems have plenty of space for planets just like unary systems. (from wikipedia)"It is estimated that 50–60% of binary stars are capable of supporting habitable terrestrial planets within stable orbital ranges.".

    The thing to remember is that two stars can be bound together even from a pretty long distance, and even though there two stars, only the closest will be providing the planet with any substantial sunlight.

    In fact, due to a more limited area being acceptable for stable orbits, it may accelerate the accumulation of orbital material into the various larger bodies, making the system eventually more hospitable due to the decreased probability of asteroid collisions and such.
     
    Alanzer-DNA likes this.
  7. Tester383

    Tester383 Zero Gravity Genie

    I would love to stumble upon a binary star system in game, I think it would add to the allure of exploring their universe full of random-ness.

    The only thing better than watching a sun set, is watching two suns set.
    I would have to agree with you and Alanzer-DNA, it would be quite a view.
     
  8. Alanzer-DNA

    Alanzer-DNA Scruffy Nerf-Herder

    You did a nice research right there, well done! :up:
    I was checking information about Alpha Centauri when I posted this. All this is very interesting.

    It is true what you said about the distance of the stars in a binary or even triple system:
    Alpha Centauri B orbits Alpha Centauri A; at its closest point to A, the distance it's similar to the one of Saturn to our Sun.
    In the other hand, at its farthest, the distance gets to be similar to Pluto's distance to our Sun.

    Oh, and there's another star called Proxima Centauri (or Alpha Centauri C), a red dwarf, which, supposedly, also has something to do with the gravitational system of Alpha Centauri, even though the distance to the main two stars it's 2.2 trillion kilometres (0.24 lightyears!)
    Ahh... I love the space.
     
    Tester383 likes this.
  9. Anris

    Anris Phantasmal Quasar

    So it would be in a way safer than a normal star, but have fewer planets because of a narrower stable corridor....
    That defies common sense( since you would expect a planet to be bounced back and forth between the two stars) but who am I to doubt the universe.
    Even scientists believe not long ago that binarys can affect the matter around them and thus inhibit planet formation.
     
  10. Active Link

    Active Link Master Astronaut

    He didn't say it would be safer, just that asteroid belts are less likely to occur.

    Stars and planets orbit the center of mass of the star system, not the star. We can say that planets orbit the star because stars are so much more massive than planets that they pull the center of mass really close to their own center. In a binary star system, if there's a significantly large difference between the masses of the two stars it can make it look like one star is orbiting the other, but planets will still orbit the center of mass of the system.
     
  11. Alanzer-DNA

    Alanzer-DNA Scruffy Nerf-Herder

    Here's an example of a binary system with a common gravitational center, with ecliptic orbits:
    [​IMG]
    In this example the stars seem to have the same mass. Otherwise, the form of their orbits would be different.
    And actually that can happen too, there are two types of planet orbits in a binary system.
    The S-type is the kind of orbit in which a planet orbits one of the stars.
    And the P-type orbit consists on a planet which orbits around both stars (due the common barycenter).
     
    The Corrupted [ITA] likes this.
  12. Active Link

    Active Link Master Astronaut

    Um, what I said is why both S-type and P-type binary systems are possible.
     
  13. Alanzer-DNA

    Alanzer-DNA Scruffy Nerf-Herder

    You still said they don't orbit the star as if you were denying the existence of the S-type of orbit ._.
    That's why I talked about both.
     
  14. Active Link

    Active Link Master Astronaut

    They don't actually orbit the star though, in an S-type system it just looks like their orbiting the star because the center of mass of the system is inside the star. Even our sun is orbiting around a point incredibly close to its core.
     
  15. Dragrath

    Dragrath Phantasmal Quasar

    nice to see a fairly informed topic :)
    Lets hope binary systems are in game oh and speaking of which, there is a good chance they might have found a planet in the Alpha Centari system(around :cool: thought it certiantly isn't habitable... (they way it was said in my source is there is a 1/1000 chance of a fluke but further results will have to wait until after Alpha Centari A finishes passing by...)
     
    Alanzer-DNA likes this.
  16. Alanzer-DNA

    Alanzer-DNA Scruffy Nerf-Herder

    Okay, now I see more clearly what you meant. :)
    Your first post sounded confusing due the first sentence I quoted.
     
  17. Serris

    Serris Scruffy Nerf-Herder

    i was on chat earlier, and kyren was working on how to name stuff like "sunset", since the sun refers to our sun. and she brought up names like "starset" wouldn't work, because what do you name it in binary systems.

    so i believe binary star systems are indeed in starbound.
     
  18. Alanzer-DNA

    Alanzer-DNA Scruffy Nerf-Herder

    AWESOMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. :DD
     
    FluffyRabbit likes this.
  19. Tester383

    Tester383 Zero Gravity Genie

    Sweet.
     
  20. Zisi

    Zisi Phantasmal Quasar

    Taking Alpha Centauri as an example "Alpha Centauri A and B have an 11 AU distance at closest approach, and both should have stable habitable zones"(wp). Alpha Centauri B is 44.5% as luminous as the sun, and since I don't want to look it up, we will just say A's habitable zone is about 1au. So assuming you were on a planet in the habitable zone of A, the brightness of B would be about x20 less than the sun while appearing 10x smaller. However, it would still be much brighter than a full moon, so I think you would still have an apparent sunset.

    Anyway, probably the closest experience to something like that you can have on earth is a total solar eclipse in the afternoon on the ocean. It's worth seeing at least once in your life (there are cruises that go to the optimal location,etc). The shadow of the moon races across the ocean at you, the sky becomes a little darker and you see the solar ring of course. But here's the kicker, most of the planets in our solar system become visible in the sky, no stars, just the planets and the sun ring. I really felt more spatially connected with our place in the solar system after that.

    Think about this, the moon orbits earth. It's really the same thing. Jupiter would need to have only 60 times more mass than it has now to ignite into a low luminosity red dwarf. The distance between these objects is just so high...
     
    Alanzer-DNA and Dragrath like this.

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