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Portable Network Graphic  |  1996-04-23  |  21KB  |  516x386  |  8-bit (117 colors)
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OCR: BINARY STARS MORE THAN HALF of all stars exist in Astronomers may be able to identify groups of two or more, held together the visible star as a member of a by gravity. A binary star is a pair of binary-star system if its brightness stars that orbit the center of their seems to vary, or if its motion appears combined mass. Often, one of the stars to be influenced by the gravitational is too faint to be visible from Earth. field of a nearby object. Orbital path of | Large visible star smaller star DOUBLE VISION In eclipsing-binary systems, each star periodically passes between the Earth and its partner while they orbit. Light from the visible star is dimmed when its smaller companion passes between it and the Earth. Small invisible star DOUBLE MEANDERING FACT VISION COURSE FILE