Celestia Forums

hello
Since Celestia already contains many SF related star systems, i've tried to build the system from the movie "Pitch Black"
http://riddick.wikia.com/wiki/M-344/G_System

Some thoughts about the 3 suns can be found here
https://supernovacondensate.net/2012/06/11/three-suns/
but the puzzling part is the 3 planets around the main sun aligning every 22 years what then leads to a total eclipse on the middle planet.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=741094485&searchtext=

It's not really scientific, but i would like to know if that can be implemented in a simple and elegant way.

My first approach was to use eccentric orbits pointing to the double star. But when speeding up time this alignment is lost.

Next try was a virtual barycenter outside the main star and circular orbits. That worked, but only when freezing the middle planet (Period=infinite)

Third and in a way best model is using the barycenter of the system, i.e. the planets cycling inside the orbits of the starts.

Any better ideas regarding this system ?
I also thought about using two planets and one moon instead of 3 planets but found no realizable way.

regards
Rufus

I suggest you start by googling "orbital resonance" which should give you some clues on how to proceed.

This is going to be an interesting build.

@Chuft-Captain:
as mentioned that system is fiction, not science, and surely cannot exist in reality
so one shouldn't emphasise here at accuracy resp. astrophysics

@Rufus:

Many people like Addons which show orbits which are physically possible. Making sure that's the case can be an enjoyable project in itself. Of course, sometimes it takes much more work than one can afford to spend and too often when basing an Addon on a popular publication one finds that the values provided by its original authors are non-physical.

@Rufus,

Rufus T Firefly wrote:as mentioned that system is fiction, not science, and surely cannot exist in reality
so one shouldn't emphasise here at accuracy resp. astrophysics

You surely misunderstood my suggestion to google "orbital resonance".
I was not advocating for scientific reality, just providing information that may help you in the implementation of your addon ... if you care to read and understand the implications.