Orbital
Distance

(a=AUs)
Orbital
Period

(P=years)
Orbital
Eccentricity

(e)
Orbital
Inclination

(i=degrees)

Mass

(Solar)

Diameter

(Solar)

Density

(Earths)
Surface
Gravity

(Earths)

Metallicity
(Solar)
AB Mass Center0.0........................
Xi Boötis A15.4151.60.511390.900.90-1.44......0.55-1.55
Center of H.Z. A0.720.640139...............
Xi Boötis B18.2151.60.511390.760.75.........
Center of H.Z. B0.250.140139...............


NOTE: This animation attempts to relate the orbits and possible habitable zones of Stars A and B in the Xi Boötis AB system to their common center of mass. To enlarge the display, the orbits have been arbitrarily rotated by 45 degrees. Although the initial display shows the system's actual orbital tilt (at an inclination of 139°) from the visual perspective of an observer on Earth, the orbital inclination of any planet that may be discovered someday around either star would likely be different from those of the habitable zone orbits depicted here.

Previous orbital calculations (see ADS 9413 from Table II in Roland Wielen, 1962) have been slightly revised. According to new measurements (Staffan Soderhjelm, 1999) found in the new Sixth Catalog of Visual Orbits of Binary Stars, Star A and B are separated by an "average distance" of about 33.6 AUs (semi-major axis of 4.94" with a HIPPARCOS parallax of 0.14710 +/- 0.00080"). They move in an elliptical orbit (e= 0.51) that takes about 151.6 years to complete, travelling as close as 16.5 AUs and as far away as 50.7 AUs. Their orbit is inclined about 139° from the perspective of an observer on Earth.



 

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