Orbital
Distance

(a=AUs)
Orbital
Period

(P=years)
Orbital
Eccentricity

(e)
Orbital
Inclination

(i=degrees)
Mass
Estimate

(Solar)

Diameter

(Solar)

Density

(Earths)
Surface
Gravity

(Earths)

Metallicity
(Solar)
A-BC Mass Center0.0........................
Keid A184~8,000??0.890.85......0.46-1.02
Inner H.Z. Edge A?0.5560.4390?...............
Outer H.Z. Edge A?1.1031.2280?...............
BC Mass Center234~8,000??...............
Keid B9.5252.10.410108.90.500.02.........
Keid C25.5252.10.410108.90.200.28.........
Inner H.Z. Edge C?0.060.0310108.9...............
Outer H.Z. Edge C?0.110.0830108.9...............


NOTE: This animation attempts to relate the orbits (and possible habitable zones) of Stars A, B, and C in the 40 (Omicron2) Eridani 3 system -- also known as Keid -- to their respective centers of mass. The display shows the BC System's known orbital tilt (at an inclination of 108.9°) from the visual perspective of an observer on Earth. However, the orbital inclination of any planet that may be discovered someday in this star system would likely be different from those of the habitable zone orbits depicted here.

Star A and the binary pair BC have a wide separation of about 418 AUs and an orbital period of some 8,000 years. The stars in the BC pair have an "average" separation of about 35 AUs (of a semi-major axis) in a highly elliptical orbit (e= 0.410) that lasts about 252 years and swings between 21 and 49 AUs (Wulff D. Heintz, 1974).


 

© 2001-2011 Sol Company. All Rights Reserved.