Multiple star systems are scientifically interesting for several reasons. Orbital pairs can be used to measure the masses of the component stars, which is useful for developing a greater understanding of the stellar life cycle. Identifying whether the stars are gravitationally bound is the first step towards determining the mass of the component stars. The goal of our project conducted by a group of interdisciplinary students interested in astronomy at Southern Utah University, was to provide an additional measurement of separation and position angle for the system WDS 20420+2452 in order to help determine if the components of this system are gravitationally bound.
Download and read the full article below, published in the Journal of Double Star Observations.
