Orbital
Distance

(a=AUs)
Orbital
Period

(P=years)
Orbital
Eccentricity

(e)
Orbital
Inclination

(i=degrees)

Mass

(Solar)

Diameter

(Solar)

Density

(Earths)
Surface
Gravity

(Earths)

Metallicity
(Solar)
AB Mass Center0.0........................
Luyten 726-8 A2.526.50.62127.30.10-0.110.15.........
Inner HZ Edge A?~0.020.010127.3...............
Outer H.Z. Edge A?~0.050.040127.3...............
UV Ceti3.026.50.62127.30.100.14.........
Inner HZ Edge B?~0.020.010127.3...............
Outer H.Z. Edge B?~0.050.040127.3...............


NOTE: This animation attempts to relate the possible orbits of Luyten 726-8 AB (and their tiny habitable zones) to their common center of mass. To enlarge the display, the orbits have been arbitrarily rotated by 45 degrees. Although the initial display shows the system's actual orbital tilt (at an inclination of 127.3°) from the visual perspective of an observer on Earth, the orbital inclination of any planet that may be discovered someday around either star would likely be different from those of the habitable zone orbits depicted here.

Luyten 726-8 A and its companion UV Ceti have a combined mass of about a fifth of Sol's but less than 11/100,000th of its brightness. The two stars may be separated "on average" by only about 5.5 times the Earth-Sun distance (AUs of a semi-major axis) in a highly elliptical orbit (e= 0.62). Based on orbital data that generates the mass estimates cited previously, the two stars may swing between 2.1 and 8.8 AUs apart in an orbital period lasting 26.5 years (Geyer et al, 1988).


 

© 2001-2010 Sol Company. All Rights Reserved.