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I have a binary system. The primary star is F- or G-class; the secondary is K-class, 20AU away, and in a small reflection nebula (suggested here). A planet orbits the primary in the habitable zon...
#1: Post edited
by
Monica Cellio
·
2020-06-17T01:19:42Z (over 4 years ago)
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<p>I have a binary system. The primary star is F- or G-class; the secondary is K-class, 20AU away, and in a small reflection nebula (suggested <a href="https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/a/25204/28">here</a>). A planet orbits the primary in the habitable zone. <a href="http://www.solstation.com/habitable.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">This article</a> suggests that F, G, and K classes can all support habitable planets; it's talking about unary stars, but @HDE226868 <a href="http://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/27234066#27234066">suggested in chat</a> that this range works for binary stars too.</p><p>The reason for the reflection nebula is to make the secondary star bright enough to illuminate the planet when it's in range. During <a href="https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/a/25397/28">some times of year</a> the planet will experience continuous light, but the light from the two stars is <em>different</em>. The primary produces the yellowish light that we're familiar with from our own sun, and the secondary produces...what?</p><p>Without the nebula, a K-class star would produce <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellar_classification#Harvard_spectral_classification" rel="nofollow noreferrer">pale yellow or orange light</a>. The gas in a nebula scatters the light from nearby stars in different ways, which can change its color. For example, Messier 78 looks like this in space:</p><p><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/AFOZr.jpg" height="600"/></p><p>I've been told that reflection nebulas are <a href="http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/reflection_nebulae.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">biased toward being blue</a>, though I don't know how that's affected by star type.</p><p>How do I figure out what my star in a nebula looks like from my planet, particularly the color of its light, taking into account:</p><ul><li>K-class star </li><li>in a reflection nebula </li><li>viewed from the surface of a habitable planet?</li></ul>
- <p>I have a binary system. The primary star is F- or G-class; the secondary is K-class, 20AU away, and in a small reflection nebula (suggested <a href="https://scientific-speculation.codidact.com/questions/213937#answer-213938">here</a>). A planet orbits the primary in the habitable zone. <a href="http://www.solstation.com/habitable.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">This article</a> suggests that F, G, and K classes can all support habitable planets; it's talking about unary stars, but @HDE226868 <a href="http://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/27234066#27234066">suggested in chat</a> that this range works for binary stars too.</p>
- <p>The reason for the reflection nebula is to make the secondary star bright enough to illuminate the planet when it's in range. During <a href="https://scientific-speculation.codidact.com/questions/213979#answer-213990">some times of year</a> the planet will experience continuous light, but the light from the two stars is <em>different</em>. The primary produces the yellowish light that we're familiar with from our own sun, and the secondary produces...what?</p>
- <p>Without the nebula, a K-class star would produce <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellar_classification#Harvard_spectral_classification" rel="nofollow noreferrer">pale yellow or orange light</a>. The gas in a nebula scatters the light from nearby stars in different ways, which can change its color. For example, Messier 78 looks like this in space:</p>
- <p><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/AFOZr.jpg" height="600"/></p>
- <p>I've been told that reflection nebulas are <a href="http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/reflection_nebulae.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">biased toward being blue</a>, though I don't know how that's affected by star type.</p>
- <p>How do I figure out what my star in a nebula looks like from my planet, particularly the color of its light, taking into account:</p>
- <ul>
- <li>K-class star </li>
- <li>in a reflection nebula </li>
- <li>viewed from the surface of a habitable planet?</li>
- </ul>