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spectroscopic binary star

astronomy

Quick Summary

A spectroscopic binary is a pair of stars that orbit a common center of gravity, but their individual stars cannot be distinguished visually even with a telescope. Instead, their binary nature is detected through spectroscopy. As the stars move towards and away from Earth in their orbits, a Doppler effect causes a shift in their spectral lines. This shifting of spectral lines indicates orbital revolution. A significant portion of stars in the Milky Way are binary or part of multiple star systems.12

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