Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Ursa Major (UMa)  ·  Contains:  79 UMa)  ·  79 zet UMa  ·  80 g UMa  ·  Alcor  ·  HD116656  ·  Mitsar  ·  Mizar  ·  The star Alcor (80 UMa)  ·  The star Mizar (ζ UMa
Mizar & Alcor - Sextuplet star system, Jan Erik Vallestad
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Mizar & Alcor - Sextuplet star system

Mizar & Alcor - Sextuplet star system, Jan Erik Vallestad
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Mizar & Alcor - Sextuplet star system

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Description

The Mizar & Alcor system at a distance of 83 ly in the constellation of Ursa Major. 

Mizar was identified as a binary system in the 17th century, Mizar A & B, which appear separated in this image. Later in the beginning of the 20th century spectroscopy revealed that they were both binary systems. In 2009 it was discovered that Alcor as well is a binary system, which makes Mizar & Alcor a sextuple system. Alcor A/B lies 1.2 ly from the Mizar quadruple system and they are gravitationally bound. Alcor revolves around the Mizar quadruple with a period of about 750.000 years

Any further splits of these systems aren't possible without spectroscopy. There are two stars in each binary system that orbit their common center of mass, but due to their close proximity they appear as a signle point of light. As far as I know there's still a ongoing search for possible exoplanets, or even more binary stars around Alcor.

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