Monday, August 15, 2011

Which star in the Algol system do you expect to leae the Main Sequence first, a B8 or a K2 star?

There is a famous binary star system that is visible as a single star to the naked eye, Algol. The two stars in the Algol binary system are a B8 main sequence star and a K2 subgiant star. Recall that binary stars are umed to have been created simultaneously out of the same cloud of gas. Algol, therefore, creates a paradox. Astronomers do not expect to find a K2 subgiant and a B8 main Sequence star in the same binary system. Given the anser to the questions above, explain why the Algol system creates a paradox for astronomers.

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