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Re: Speculation Re Planet Orbiting Alpha Centauri 1

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Posted by ZW on March 20, 1997 22:32:16 UTC

: I'm a complete novice to astronomy but am interested in some "expert" opinions for some fiction I am considering writing. What I'd like to know is whether its possible that an inhabitable (by humans) planet might orbit Alpha Centauri 1 in such a way that it actually passes between Alpha Cent. 1 & Alpha Cent. 2, during its year. Is that possible and if it is, what might conditions be like on such a planet? I do not know how close together the stars of the Alpha Centauri system are to one another but I assume there is plenty of room for a planet to orbit one of them? I'm looking for feasible stuff for the imagination here. : Thanks.

No way can a planet survive in the Centauri system, there are three stars about couple hundred AU's from each other, their gravitational pulls would neither make the planet collide with a star or gain speed and escape into space. If there is a planet, it could be a gas giant like Jupiter. I suggest you use stars like 51 Pegasi or 47 Ursae Majoris, they are stars that have been proven to have planets.

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