Planetary Prospects Around Centauri B

Centauri Dreams ^ | 01/19/10

[KevinDavis]

Over twenty percent of the planets we’ve found around other stars inhabit binary systems. It’s intriguing to take a close look at these. Most of the planet-bearing binaries are what is known as ‘wide S-types,’ meaning that the companion star orbits the inner star/planet system at a distance of over 100 AU. But take a good look at GJ86b, γ Cephei b and HD41004b. Here we’re looking at three planets in close binary systems with a separation between the component stars of 20 AU or less. That separation raises the eyebrows, for Alpha Centauri A and B form a close binary with a semimajor axis of 23.4 AU.

[KevinDavis]

Alpha Centauri here I come!!!

[KevinDavis]

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[AntiKev]

There are models that show that planetary formation is possible in that system. I certainly hope so.

[cripplecreek]

Its a long ride......for now.

[rdl6989]

Ping.

[wally_bert]

Maybe a Centauri Republic could be in the making?

[dog breath]

If mankind ever figures out how to send probes to other stars the things we might discover boggle the mind. I am not sure if current technology and clever math will ever do much more then raise additional questions. Thanks for the post.

[KevinDavis]

Hopefully based upon the American Republic..

[cripplecreek]

Only if politicians are term limited and shot at the end of their term.

[GeronL]

Packing my bag right now.

[KevinDavis]

[wally_bert]

[cripplecreek]

I ain’t doing my hair like that. I’ll be a trendsetter.

[Brilliant]

100 AU is quite close. I question whether even if there were a planet around this star, it could harbor complex life forms with two suns in the sky. And that does not touch on the question whether the orbit would even be stable given the competing tides of a binary star system.

[mhx]

Only if politicians are term limited and shot at the end of their term.

I was hoping we could just pack up all the politicians and send them on a rocket to Alpha Centauri. Or at least, we'd tell them that was where it was going.

[LiberConservative]

Where is Pandora? I want to meet the smokin’ hot, blue-skinned, 10’ tall dragon-riding alien babes.

[wendy1946]

By the time you got there, you'd be too old to be interested in them.

[Zathras]

Zathras knows where the Centari live but Zathras not tell you.

[Starter]

Alpha Centauri here I come!!! Oooh. I'd advise against that. Sister Miriam will be giving you death threats from almost the second that you land. Plus the Gaians are all green and nutso. And don't get me started on the mind worms...

[Erasmus]

100 AU is quite close. I question whether even if there were a planet around this star, it could harbor complex life forms with two suns in the sky.

Yeah. How the hell could they get any sleep?