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Into the Starry Gulfs

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Celestial Shadows

Part of the book series: Astrophysics and Space Science Library ((ASSL,volume 410))

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Abstract

Among the many stars that are known to vary in brightness are the eclipsing binaries – pairs of stars that orbit each other, causing each component to pass in front of the other as seen from Earth. The prototype for such systems is Algol (Beta Persei), whose variability was possibly recognized in antiquity and whose period was determined by Edward Pigott and John Goodricke in 1782-83. Over 6000 of these systems have been catalogued, classified into three types, depending on whether the two stars are separate, in contact or exchanging mass. Measurement of such systems’ periods, light curves and radial-velocity changes provides information about the stars’ sizes, masses and brightnesses along with the elements of their mutual orbit.

Eclipse events also are important in the discovery and characterization of exoplanets. Detecting the periodic light drop caused by an exoplanet transiting its star is currently the leading method of exoplanet discovery, and has the advantage that measuring the amount of light loss gives us the diameter of the exoplanet relative to that of its host star. Several thousand exoplanets and exoplanet “candidates” have been found by the Kepler satellite and other spacecraft and earthbased programs, the latter often involving amateurs.

Timed magnitude observations by amateurs have been critical in the study of variable stars, including eclipsing binaries. They also provide the only means by which amateurs have discovered exoplanets and determined their periods and sizes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers, Antioch, CA, USA

    John Westfall

  2. Willmar, MN, USA

    William Sheehan

  3. Flagstaff, AZ, USA

    William Sheehan

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  1. John Westfall
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  2. William Sheehan
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Westfall, J., Sheehan, W. (2015). Into the Starry Gulfs. In: Celestial Shadows. Astrophysics and Space Science Library, vol 410. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1535-4_22

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1535-4_22

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