Six-Star System Found: TYC 7037-89-1

[Malik]

Excuse me while I just go burn all my worldbuilding research and start something new.

Link: Cool: Six-star system found. Cooler: Made of three binaries. Coolest: *Eclipsing* binaries.

 

[Ban]

Well that is coïncidental. Earlier today I was reading about the system in Firefly and how their five-star system is actually possible (had no clue).

Good job universe, you out-scifi scifi.

 

[Eduardo Ficaria]

It would be something to imagine all those three binary systems with planets inhabitated by early space-faring races, a bit more advanced than us I mean, and all of them with a knack for not liking their stellar neighbours (fight for resources? fear of the "other"? supremacism?). Space war strategy could be a very elaborated thing playing with orbital mechanics in such a complicated system.

 

[ThinkerX]

cool...but not the place you'd find an earth-like world.

There are other systems with five or more stars. Most, alas, appear to be far too young to have developed planetary systems.

Years ago, I did identify a couple of four-star systems with suitable ages and separations between the stars to have a fair shot at hosting an earth-like world or three. My notes:

Distance: 17.05 parsecs or 55.59 lightyears (HD 53705 & 53706) and 17.3 parsecs or 56.41 lightyears (HD 53680)
Age: 11 billion years, plus or minus 3 billion.

HD 53705 & 53706

I am considering this as the ‘new’ location for the ‘New Eden’ system, as it is closer to our own solar system than Kappa Tucana and is of an age more suited to having planets.

Alternate Names:

GJ 263.1
Hip 34065 & 34069
HR 2667 & 2668
HD 53705 & 53706 & 53680
WDS 07040-4337

Component….V-Magnitude…Spectral Type…Ab-Magnitude
A 5.61 G0V 4.5
B 6.08 G/K 5.1
C 8.83 K6V 7.7
D 11.2 M1? 10.1

‘A’ is listed as a spectroscopic binary. A literature search gave some details for a SB, but identified this as ‘C.’ I will assume that the information for ‘C’ was meant to apply to ‘A’ (typo).

A, B, and C are listed as physical. D is probably optical, but could work for the ‘stranger star’, hence I will assume it is in close proximity to the others.

AB

DATE PA SEP
1826 119 21.5
1910 123 20.43
1938 123.2 20.55
1999 126 20.9

Assume an average true separation of 320 AU.

SB – 4.11 year orbital period, semi-major axis of 0.5 AU, assume near circular orbit. PROBLEM: the au distance is too small for the orbital period unless the orbit is extremely eccentric. Hence, the angular separation is probably not reflective of the true distance. Wild Guess: semi major axis of 2 AU?

AC

DATE PA SEP
1900 334 184.8
1987 335.2 186.1
1998 335.2 184.7
2011 337 185.7

Assume an average true separation of 2990 AU.

AD
DATE PA SEP
1977 282 36.1
1999 268 33.3

Assume a true separation on the order of 500-800 AU.

This one I tacked in some planets. The astronomical info on the stars and their orbital period is accurate, or it was at the time:

KAPPA TUCANA

This is a group of four stars 68 light years from earth.

Kappa Tucana A (KTA) is a massive F5 star evolving towards subgiant status about 3.5 times more luminous than Sol. It serves as the anchor point for the system, and while it is host to a number of planets, none are habitable.

KTB is a K dwarf in a wide orbit around KTA. The orbital period is 857 earth years, with an average separation of 125 astronomical units, and a 38% eccentricity. It boasts a moon and a planet terraformed to marginal habitability.

The inner world’s atmosphere is thick and toxic at lower elevations. However it thins out and becomes breathable at an elevation of about 5 kilometers, though this band is not stable and even at its best contains multiple toxins. The habitable portion consists of an enormous plateau some 1000 kilometers across, the result of geologic uplift, plus a few solitary volcanic peaks, the largest of which boasts a habitable region barely 50 kilometers to a side. This world is half-jokingly regarded as cursed.

The moon is the sole large satellite of a Neptune sized gas giant. Over 90% of its surface is covered with ice or freezing water. The habitable region is limited to a collection of valleys and islands along the equator. The air is thin but clean, though the winters are brutal. Large coniferous forests cover some of the valleys and islands. This is considered a pioneer world, populated by misfits and former military personal.

Kappa Tucana CD is separated from KTA by some 25,000 astronomical units, or about 40% of a lightyear. This is a pair of K dwarfs, about 30% of Sol’s luminosity, in a low eccentricity orbit about a central point lasting some 86 years with an average separation of about 20 astronomical units.

KTD boasts a single terraformed world noteworthy for its uniformity: it boasts few mountains and no deep seas. Most of its surface is barren plains and rolling hills, dotted with large lakes. A narrow sea encircles the planet at the equator. This was the first world terraformed in the system, done so because of its ideal size, orbit, and relative simplicity. Despite much effort, only a few areas sport much life.

KTC is the primary of New Eden, a world teaming with native vegetation and lifeforms comparable to insects and invertebrates, and was the target of the original colony ships. Unlike Gaia, the first extrasolar colony, the people sent here thrived: the soil was fertile and some of the native vegetation was edible.

 

[Prince of Spires]

I had seen it as well. Just very awesome. It goes to show that in a universe with more galaxies than there are grains of sand on earth, pretty much anything you can think of will happen somewhere, as long as it is physically possible.

I do think it's very unlikely that there will be any life in that system. The tidal forces and temperature differences alone would be very harsh on a lifeform. Then, there's very varied levels of radiation.