Mutli-star systems

[Shrykull]

I was wondering about them, binary or tetriary star systems or more, I heard there was one with "dozens" of planets. On these kinda of systems, could there be planets or moons with more than one sentient species per system, I mean that evolved there? What would this system be like if it had been a binary system with jupiter as another star? Would any of the other planets or moons (like pluto, Saturn and the other gas giants have earth like planets, or ones that could support life?) because of it be habitable or already have life, about what would the orbit of the planets be with two stars, would it be like a figure 8 orbit, first we'd go around the sun, then jupiter, etc?

[ArmorPierce]

It would have to orbit around both stars. A figure 8 orbit would just fling the planet off into space.

[kojikun]

well, there ARE stable figure eights..

[ArmorPierce]

Oh really? Bleh, I need to get with the times.

[Darth Yoshi]

Wouldn't a figure 8 orbit be hell on life? I mean, for over a quarter of the year you'll only have day.

[ArmorPierce]

I would think that life would have evolved to be suited to that environment, besides, there are places on earth where it is day for months on end.

[GrandMasterTerwynn]

I was wondering about them, binary or tetriary star systems or more, I heard there was one with "dozens" of planets. On these kinda of systems, could there be planets or moons with more than one sentient species per system, I mean that evolved there? What would this system be like if it had been a binary system with jupiter as another star? Would any of the other planets or moons (like pluto, Saturn and the other gas giants have earth like planets, or ones that could support life?) because of it be habitable or already have life, about what would the orbit of the planets be with two stars, would it be like a figure 8 orbit, first we'd go around the sun, then jupiter, etc?

The only way you'd get multiple planets orbiting a binary or trinary star-system is if the planets you care about (the Earthlike-ones) each orbit their own primary. This means that you can't really have a very close binary, otherwise the gravitational interaction between the two stars will eject the planets from the system.

Another way is to have a planet orbiting the center of mass between two stars orbiting very close together. This too is a very unstable arrangement, unless the planet orbits at a sufficient distance from both stars. And while there are stable figure-eight orbits, the odds of a planet dropping into one of them are very, very minute.

And above that, there are still the problems of getting material for planets to form in a binary or trinary starsystem. Once the two or three stars light up, their solar winds would tend to clear the remaining dust and gas away very quickly. Though the latest theories indicate that planets can form very quickly around young stars.

So yes, in some cases, it's possible for the sort of scenario you describe to exist. It could happen around, for instance, Alpha Centauri A and B, which are far enough apart so that planets in their habitable zones wouldn't be ejected from the system.

Now if Jupiter had become a star, then likely you wouldn't have any planet larger than Mars past the orbit of Venus. Jupiter had a very disruptive effect on the inner solar system. It's presence accounts for the existence of the asteroid belt, and Mars's low mass. (Growing Jupiter consumed much of the material in the area, leaving very little left over.)

[Darth Yoshi]

I would think that life would have evolved to be suited to that environment, besides, there are places on earth where it is day for months on end.

Yeah, but those places are near the poles, where it's cold enough that 24 hrs. of sun won't make much of a difference. I'm talking about 24 hrs. even at the equator. The planet'll probably end up being a desert world of some sort.

[Shrykull]

I would think that life would have evolved to be suited to that environment, besides, there are places on earth where it is day for months on end.

Yeah, but those places are near the poles, where it's cold enough that 24 hrs. of sun won't make much of a difference. I'm talking about 24 hrs. even at the equator. The planet'll probably end up being a desert world of some sort.

hmm, like in pitch black? There must have been a cycle of eclipses in that movie the eclipse couldn't last forever, otherwise the creatures would never be in the light.

[Alnilam]

It seems planets can be formed even around stars that belong to a multiple star system.Protoplanetary disks have been discovered around stars on a double star system
If you are interested in extrasolar planets,take a look at this site:

http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/planets/

Regards.

[haas mark]

I would think the planets til maybe Neptune would be too close to either start to be able to support life. Furthermore, I would think that the planets would more than likely be revolving around the outside of both stars, and that in that case, earth might still be able to support life.

I don't have a clue as to what Jupiter's heat would be, nor how distant the Sun and Jupiter would be for it to be a stable binary system..