|
|
Go to the Sirius Binary System animation. Hide Sirius B, hide the orbits and the c.m. What information could be determined if Sirius A and its motion were all our telescopes could observe? |
|
 |
Sirius A is a main sequence star of spectral class A, but Sirius B is a white dwarf that has already finished its main sequence lifetime. The mass of Sirius B is approximately 1/2 that of Sirius A. We know that stellar lifetimes are shorter for higher mass stars and longer for lower mass stars. How do you explain the apparent discrepancy? |