Could be host to habitable planets

Star Astronomy News
Photo courtesy of NASA

Binary star systems – Astronomers taking part in the human journey to the beginning of space and time have found star systems the human mind never imagined out among the stars. In fact, they have found that star systems with multiple stars are more common than star systems with a single star, like our own solar system. Star systems with multiple stars of varying sizes have also been viewed during the human journey to the beginning of space and time. Multiple stars that, according to present planet formation theories, could have bodies orbiting them might be found in the years ahead in our own stellar-backyard.

Binary star systems are composed of two stars orbiting one centre of mass, which is determined using the combined mass of all of the objects in the star system. Binary star systems also typically orbit each other in close orbits. Astronomers studying binary star systems have made note of an interesting fact recently. They have viewed unexpected clouds of dust orbiting distant binary stars, which they believe could be the result of collisions between bodies orbiting the binary stars in question. This has raised questions in the minds of astronomers concerning the possibility of life surviving on any habitable planets that might be orbiting binary stars in close proximity.

You see present astronomical theories concerning the possibility of binary star systems forming planets indicate this could be possible. Recent discoveries of exo-planets circling distant suns being the best evidence to date. It's even possible there could be planets circling stars in binary star systems capable of supporting human life, or life of some kind. Astronomers viewing clouds of dust orbiting binary star systems believe survival could be difficult for any life forms that might evolve on planets circling stars in binary star systems. Life forms capable of evolving and surviving on such planets would also likely be unlike anything humans have ever experienced.

Presently, astronomers are studying a class of binary star systems, named after the prototype star RS Canum Venaticorum. Binary star systems in this class orbit each other at a distance as close as 3 million kilometres. The stellar winds created by the magnetic fields of close orbiting stars is thought to be a force which would create havoc in the orbits of any planets circling binary star systems of this class. Astronomers believe this would mean any present dust clouds viewed are younger in age, since any older dust clouds would have been blown away by the constant stellar winds created by the stars. This makes it logical to assume that any dust clouds viewed are from more recent collisions between bodies orbiting stars in binary star systems in this class.

The above facts seem to paint a picture of the late stages of planet formation in binary systems in this class, according to astronomers. A bleak picture of a possibly chaotic, violent and short lived future for any lifeforms lucky enough to evolve on planets circling binary star systems in close proximity.