Binary Systems: When is it hottest and coldest?
Posted: 16.05.2006, 06:20
(I split this off from the other binary thread I started)
One thing I've found in my calculations is that it seems that the temperature of a planet will be maximum when the two stars (both inside the planet's orbit) are closest to eachother in its sky - i.e. just before and after they eclipse eachother. I originally figured that it would be hottest when the two stars are at quadrature (i.e. at 90 degrees to the line joining the planet to the barycentre around which everything orbits, so they're at maximum separation in the planet's sky) but apparently this isn't the case...
It also seems that the temperature is lowest while the stars are actually eclipsing eachother, since they can block off all or part of the other star's luminosity during the eclipse.
Do those scenarios sound correct? Or am I missing something here?
One thing I've found in my calculations is that it seems that the temperature of a planet will be maximum when the two stars (both inside the planet's orbit) are closest to eachother in its sky - i.e. just before and after they eclipse eachother. I originally figured that it would be hottest when the two stars are at quadrature (i.e. at 90 degrees to the line joining the planet to the barycentre around which everything orbits, so they're at maximum separation in the planet's sky) but apparently this isn't the case...
It also seems that the temperature is lowest while the stars are actually eclipsing eachother, since they can block off all or part of the other star's luminosity during the eclipse.
Do those scenarios sound correct? Or am I missing something here?