visual binary

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Related to visual binary: eclipsing binary, spectroscopic binary

visual binary

A binary star that can be resolved visually or telescopically into its two components.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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References in periodicals archive ?

Kappa is a visual binary, whose measure in 2016 placed the stars 13.1" apart.

Shining Jewels: Determining the colors of double stars--sometimes brilliant, sometimes subtle--can be tricky even for experienced observers

"This is the first pair of black holes to be seen as separate objects that are moving with respect to each other, and thus makes this the first black-hole 'visual binary,'" said Greg Taylor, of the University of New Mexico (UNM).

First-Ever Black-Hole 'Visual Binary' Revealed

So far, no trustworthy case is known of a visual binary system having shown an eclipse.

75, 50 & 25 YEARS AGO

The [Mu.sup.2] pair is a visual binary with a period of only 265 years.

Showpiece doubles: point your telescope toward these gems of the late-summer sky

Struve 2576 (X2576 or STF 2576) is a visual binary with an orbital period of 232 years.

Lonely hearts of summer: visit some of these less-frequented destinations this season

Preliminary orbital elements in the internet-based Sixth Catalog of Orbits of Visual Binary Stars give this pair an orbital period of 554 years, plus or minus 27 years.