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A field guide to the binary stars

Nature volume 303, pages 137–142 (1983)Cite this article

Abstract

For most of the history of binary star astronomy, systems have been classified largely on the basis of how they were discovered and qualitative appearance of their spectra and light curves. Our understanding of single and double star evolution has now progessed to the point where most of the classes previously identified, and some new ones, can be arranged into evolutionary sequences, depending primarily on the initial masses and separation of the component stars.

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  1. Astronomy Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 20742, USA

    Virginia Trimble

  2. Department of Physics, University of California, Irvine, California, 92717, USA

    Virginia Trimble

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Trimble, V. A field guide to the binary stars. Nature 303, 137–142 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1038/303137a0

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