A pair of stars orbit around one another in an elliptical orbit with a semimajor axis,"a",of 1 AU with an orbital period,"P",of 1 year.What is the mass of the pair of stars?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The mass of the pair of stars is given by the formula m1 + m2 = a^3 / P^2, where a is the semimajor axis of the orbit and P is the orbital period. In this case, a = 1 AU and P = 1 year, so m1 + m2 = 1 solar mass.

A Pair of Stars Orbit Around One Another in an Elliptical