Colonization & Habitability Of Binary Star Systems

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There are billion of binary star systems in our galaxy, including many of those stars closest to us. Can such systems host life, and what would it be like to live under two suns?
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Credits:
Colonization & Habitability Of Binary Star Systems
Episode 444a; April 28, 2024
Produced, Written & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Graphics:
Jeremy Jozwik
Ken York
Mafic Studios
Sergio Botero
Music Courtesy of:
Epidemic Sound epidemicsound.com/creator

[@DNihilHEAVYIndustries]

I've been a fan of the show for the last nine years. I don't even notice your speech impediment anymore, in fact, I think it gives you a certain quality that nobody else has. In any case over the last nine years you have drastically improved with your speech and I think most of that is because you continue to get more and more comfortable doing this. Keep up the amazing work, we all love what you do! 💙

[@Celestial_Reach]

Right! It's almost elegant sounding I love his unique style and voice

[@connorbrown835]

He had surgery and rehab to fix it, a real fan would know dis

[@NatalieNirian]

​@@connorbrown835 Don't be rude. Get some coffee and a snack.

[@SectorZeroOne]

Same.

[@ASpaceOstrich]

Yeah. I feel a little bad about this, but Isaacs unique way of speaking is actually what drew me to the channel. I was interested in the subject but trying to decipher what I thought was just an extremely unusual accent was part of the draw at first.

[@user-st8fe7iv3t]

Alpha Centauri , here we come... We're leaving now, we'll arrive at a few thousand years but here we come

[@linz8291]

Many people thought Alpha Centauri would be near-term space settlement choice for developing our Earth 2.0 habitable exoplanets. However, maybe Centaurian will tell earthlings they had been launched Terran projects a millions of years ago as Alpha Centauri x.0.🤣

[@AkkarisFox]

What's your choice? Life extension velocity with VR to pass the time or suspended animation?

[@15_muhammadkhoirurrizqi93]

​@@AkkarisFox i hate to be bored so van neuman is my choice

[@linz8291]

If this supported by galactic council, yes, reverse aging and life expansion are accepted. Because we are joint member as Sol system and milky way. But if those colonization projects are some kinds of 20&back, don't join it. There are too many people had lost their faith in space, they are cheated and cleaned darkness time during the space travel.

[@deadman3140]

Alpha Centauri is a trinary system; A yellow dwarf, a red dwarf, and a brown dwarf.

[@HisCoconutGun]

Your voice is much clearer than it used to be. Congrats on all the hard work. I had a lisp when I was a kid and I remember how frustrating speech therapy was. I still catch myself remembering to press my tongue against the bottom of my mouth 20 years later!

[@urphakeandgey6308]

I don't have any speech impediments and I agree. I've been a long time fan. He's definitely come a long way since the Elmer Fudd disclaimers. The amount of "progress" he has made is admirable.

[@BananaRamaPartyTimeAllTheTime]

Oh man, me too 32 now. Especially since you mentioned it, but mine was Rs and Ls, so opposite. Weird. I thought I was the only one like that, ha nice.

[@dr0g_Oakblood]

3:28 - haven’t tuned in for a few episodes now, but I can definitely tell a difference in your voice, it’s clear you’ve put a lot of work in.

[@JSK010]

Watch. Them. All.

[@dr0g_Oakblood]

@@JSK010 they’re in my various “backlog” playlists such as Watch Later my guy, I don’t have time to catch up like I used to.

[@mikemoore4033]

It may be because I’m a Brit, but I’ve honestly never noticed you had a speech impediment or had any difficulty understanding what you’re saying and I’ve been listening to your stuff for quite a few years . Keep up the great work.

[@Nope_handlesaretrash]

I've never had any problem understanding him. You can hear the voice inflection, but I never would have described it as an impediment, even in his very old videos.

[@Honkious5824]

3:07 YES! HE'S UPLOADING THE FRIEGHTERS EPISODE!

[@opheliaplzstop9041]

Oh, Asimov's Nemesis was the first Asimov book I ever read, I was so intrigued by his version of "FTL" travel! The sci-fi guts were interesting, couldn't click with the characters.

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

Yeah, great writer but his characters were often hit and miss

[@MisterTutor2010]

Zombie Star: MASS! MASS! :)

[@giorgim4185]

we need episode on Colonizing Trinary star Systems

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

Probably the galactic core, but any star cluster can number dozens or even hundreds

[@giorgim4185]

​@@isaacarthurSFIA it will be fun, also considering success of Netflix's Tree Body Problem, it'll be good introduction to channel, for a new sci-fi fans.

[@gerald-gs2vh]

Mr. Arthur, I have never had a problem understanding your speech. You have allowed me to understand concepts and thoughts I would never have considered. I enjoy your explanations, and explorations of things beyond my ken. Good wishes to you and your family!

[@natecw4164]

Dude, it's so odd you brought up the old Elmer Fudd graphic. I was literally thinking "My god he's come a LONG way!" when the video started. I'm so glad you no longer feel the need to call out your rhoatism. Really. ❤

[@thesenate1844]

Sunday episodes are always a welcome suprise

[@DanielGenis5000]

Every single time a new episode comes out, I am grateful that there’s content like this available!

[@freehat2722]

Your voice doesn't need anymore help. I really enjoy your shows. Happy anniversary.

[@nihilusdirus]

Lisps are far from rhotacism, but as an adult who fought my childhood lisp into being mostly gone by now, I greatly appreciate and respect that you never hesitate to talk about your speech, speech therapy, and surgeries. As a kid I couldn't pronounce W's, L's, and R's very well alongside my lisp, and I think I was only able to beat it so easily because the only grocery stores near me were "Walmarts." After people giggling at me saying "Awlmarsh," a few times, I got very dedicated to enunciation! Ironically, now, as an adult who relaxes my voice much more, I sometimes lisp more than I did in middle school. Especially when excited or drinking! Your dedication to consistent and high quality videos are truly the greatest thing to applaud. It's rare to find such phenomenal futurist topics explored in accessible ways, and you're truly an inspiration to myself to keep learning and staying curious!

[@megahemphead]

Love your stuff! also, I've never had a problem understanding you, but i can tell the operation and therapy has definitely improved your speech! nicely done

[@Anonimous37800]

I love space like you wouldn't believe.

[@davidpictures6809]

I watch this channel every night the past few months before I go to bed

[@KjKase]

Tbh, I actually like your speech ‘impediment’, I find the way you talk comforting and pleasant. I like watching your videos before bed, calms me down and is usually a nice topic to ponder in to sleep.

[@neolithictransitrevolution427]

A video of "Road map of the solar system" that went over the types of orbits to move between bodies, the minimum delta Vs require, the interplanetary transport net work, etc. I find it maddening when people think if mars as closest to the astroid belt instead of Venus.

[@seditt5146]

Im not sure I understand. How is mars not closer to the Asteroid belt compared to Venus?

[@neolithictransitrevolution427]

@@seditt5146 Mars is closer to a handful of asteroids at any given time, but Venus is closer to all the rest. It's concentric circles, not a line. So Venus being an inside circle is closer to most points in the astroid belt than mars, who's distance to the far side of the belt is the distance of Mars to the Sun plus the Sun to the belt. Also, Venus has a much faster year. Which means it's closest to a given astroid much more frequently than mars. Mercury is even better, but you're so close to the sun I understand the gravity to make the delta V required much more difficult.

[@muninrob]

@@neolithictransitrevolution427 Average orbital path to average orbital path still puts Mars closer to "the asteroid belt" as a whole even while it's further away from most specific asteroids. How's your delta V map look for elliptical orbits from Jupiter's lagrange points passing through the belt 4 times? (Not meeting Jupiter's lagrange on every orbit, just launching from there.)

[@deltainfinium869]

@@neolithictransitrevolution427 While this may be true in raw distance measurements, I don't think it would be true as far as delta V required. I feel like you'd require less to go from mars to the belt then from Venus to the belt. You only have to raise your aphelion a bit as opposed to a lot, so that requires less burning at perihelion to pull off. Less delta V.

[@neolithictransitrevolution427]

@@deltainfinium869 you would have less delta V to go from Mars to a particular astroid, but to an arbitrary astroid less from Venus. You can't really operate an astroid mine serving Mars when you only have a window to ship every 5 years, whereas Census gives you a window twice a year. Plus with light lag, you almost always have quicker communication and remote control from Venus.

[@tisghosti336]

love ya isaac cheers for all the frequent reliable videos

[@mistercomment1622]

The best explanaition I got on this subject so far. Thanks for answering a lot of my questions.

[@lonedragon3261]

Nice. This is the first time I've caught one of your videos this early AND it's a topic I am very interested in learning about.

[@tiberiusbrain]

My friend, i have never needed the captions because of all the effort you put into your work. But i do appreciate the extra effort

[@bigjohn697791]

I have popped in to watch your videos over the years. As people are saying below your voice has got much clearer. Although I personally have not paid much attention to any speech impediment. Like yourself I am also a Veteran it was an Honour to serve in the Royal Regiment of Artillery but our History of the Batteries I served in are very old and have battle honors older than the USA. I have a reunion myself this year at Gunner Feast/Firepower Festival which is basically a bunch of British Veterans trying to drink like they are twenty again lol.. I think your doing a fantastic job and releasing very interesting videos keep up the good work

[@Eldagusto]

Wow so many conventions and meetups in Vegas this weekend!

[@cannonfodder4376]

I don't even register your speech impediment anymore, but I would argue you were still pretty clear in previous videos. Even added to the charm. Another fantastic video, Isaac.

[@Fearinator]

Always loved your voice, it’s only getting better 💪

[@supercyc10]

I appreciate you using the red dwarf examples at the end. While they ARE my favorite star system to think about for storytelling, I can never quite wrap my head around them. Something about telling time/seasonal cycles there always eludes me. So thank you for those scenarios…I maaaaay steal the idea lol

[@metallhead120]

Oh, man how could I forget this channel, love you :D

[@OMADRevolution]

This was one of the best episodes!

[@mikewashington4188]

I enjoy your all of your informative videos. Thanks

[@BastionMarshall]

I've always loved your voice and still do!

[@jeffreypeterson8386]

Hitchhikers guide was also my first scifi novel. At 9 or 10 it was a steep undertaking, but i have reread it twice since. Love these videos like i loved that series.

[@quentinking4351]

I went through speech therapy as a child. I cannot imagine the frustration of doing it as an adult with decades of habit atop it. Congrats on the self-improvement--it's barely noticeable now

[@Jlambert1972]

😀 thanks for the video! you rock sir!

[@trixer230]

You get a like just for the Wascally Wabbits! Also as someone who has binge listened to your youtube videos I can tell its getting a lot better man keep it up! Your hard work is paying off. Not that I really ever had a problem understanding you in your earlier videos.

[@Dang_Near_Fed_Up]

Thanks for covering a subject I have been wondering about for decades. Enjoy your vacation / second honeymoon.

[@SpacePatrollerLaser]

During the 1970's, there was a theory that Jupiter was a "failed star" or maybe a brown dwarf in the making or at one time

[@YouTubeIsRunByMarxists]

Isaac, you are a national treasure.

[@phraydedjez]

Well done, legendary channel.

[@MyHotStream]

I just assumed you had a Louisiana accent, which is refreshing. Good luck with your voice training 💪

[@moleymoley32]

I hope you know Arthur, you inspire hoardes and hoardes of people to delve deeper into science and have hope for the future ❤ no amount of thanks can suffice, but for everyone, thank you for these videos that keep some of us going ❤

[@rubenvd3913]

Damn, I catch one of these? Nice. It must be early morning in America now.

[@nathanwitt587]

Going thru exam week right now. Your videos help me fall asleep when I’m stressed. I almost got to meet u when u spoke at USAFA but I transferred out before you came. You should come to the university of Michigan sometime if you have the chance. Me and a lot of my friends (I put them onto SFIA LOL) would love to hear u speak.

[@MidwitObservations]

No time to watch rn, but a like for the algorithm! Love you isaac! Love you SFIA

[@EnneaIsInterested]

You're orbiting a non-binary star!

[@oatlord]

Hey, yeah, you sound great. Didn't even notice until you mentioned it.

[@philmcm1]

Love your work. I would like to hear you take a crack at explaining/describing the system mechanics portrayed in the Joss Whedon TV Series Firefly, where the system has 5 stars each with their own planetary system often with large planets with numerous moons all terraformed and colonized.

[@Turtle_D_Money]

Love you’re channel and congrats on another trip around the sun with the women ya love

[@TheRealUSPSureShot]

Happy wife, happy life; I am celebrating 38 this week. God bless you both and your children.

[@LaserGuidedLoogie]

You should do an episode analyzing the effect on Earth and the other planets, if Jupiter had been big enough to be an M type star.

[@SaintBuick]

I've been trying to find info on binary stars for a campaign setting I'm writing and got this recommended. All hail the algorithm!

[@lordvenusianbroon]

Regarding SF, this topic instantly made me think of Brian Aldiss's Helliconia series. He is, as ever, pretty eccentric and occasionally as mad as a box of frogs in this, but it's main character is Helliconica, the planet, which is part of a binary star system.

[@aftabansari9723]

Wow and i just recommended it in the discord. Looks like there was no need!

[@blazednlovinit]

03:20 However you feel about your speech, I like it, and think it adds character :)

[@leafboye33]

I've got rhotacism myself and I feel like he's probably been embarrassed about it his entire life if he's still willing to get surgery

[@MeNanWazaHowitzer]

I wish i could have this guy narrate everything i listen to

[@Blaxjax21]

My first Sci-Fi Author was E E Smith

[@Maytrx]

Could you do a video on "Espionage in the Age of Cybernetics"?

[@henrysimon4711]

Nice video

[@BG101UK]

@Isaac, have you read the Helliconia Trilogy by Brian Aldiss? Quite an intriguing (albeit rather long) read. It's about an Earth-like planet and its civilization going through century-long seasons during the very elliptical orbit of its host star around its larger companion.

[@chrisyeahbuuwassrileegowyn9279]

First of all I always enjoy the topics presented and your narration is iconic, unique, and always will be. I would like to pose a question. Throughout the debate of weather our Solar System could be a part of a Binary System, possibly one with a companion star that we have yet to officially locate despite many years of searching. One thing I have noticed is that with the advent of more powerful computers we have had the ability to run complex simulation programs that require a large amount of computing power giving us the ability to simulate our Solar System with great accuracy. These have been used to introduce Stars, Planets or a combination or any size or mass, as well a variety of orbital paths in distance as well as speed. What these simulations cause as far as disruptions to our Solar System varies of course, yet almost always quite catastrophic. Making the general consensus is that there is no possible way that anything substantial passes close to, or through our Solar System on a regular cyclical basis. It just can't happen end of story. I have a problem with this deduction. Everything in the Universe is already there in some form. Nothing is created or destroyed, it is in motion and can change form. Everything is influencing and affecting everything else. If our Solar System is being affected by something we have not identified, it's affects are still being felt. Regardless of you thoughts on the above, we can not play God with these simulations and move one object from another part of the Galaxy, or worse create an object or objects that do not already exist from thin air just to send them near or through our Solar System causing everything to "go flying all over the place" and then conclude what is, or is not possible. These are not simple simulation programs.

[@AnimeShinigami13]

I LOVE Dragonriders of Pern!!!!

[@williammckinney4090]

Thanks for your service, enjoy your reunion.

[@thepolyverse6347]

That last case reminds me of the second sun trilogy, starting with the lion of senet

[@peterallen5575]

I had an idea for a science fiction setting in which enigmatic and unseen aliens called the Starship Builders leave a single faster-than-light starship in the home system of each spacefaring civilization in the galaxy (while this allowed for limited interstellar colonization, every race jealously guarded theirs in order to maintain a balance of power, which humans upset when they figured out how to turn its stardrive into a stargate) and also established a universal language to facilitate interspecies communication (I had some amusing thoughts that humans trained some of the smarter animals on Earth to use them, including one where a flock of crows they experimented with eventually stopped using the translator, instead electing to work in concert to caw the notes used in the tonal system themselves once they worked out what they wanted to say to the researchers). A story idea I had for the setting was an archaeological mission on a planet that orbits a pulsar that has a yellow giant companion. The inhabitants' name for the pulsar roughly translated as "death star" (these are early 21st century humans, so Stargate-style pop culture references were going to be a thing), and while the population in ages past had usually been small enough to take shelter underground when the planet got close to the pulsar in its orbit, there was a period of several thousand years where its orbit got perturbed to mainly orbit the yellow giant, which was when this alien civilization had its golden age. This all came to a cataclysmic end when the planet's orbit took it directly into the path of the pulsar's beam and all life on its surface was incinerated. The knowledge of how to survive underground had been lost, and the alien survivors died out not long afterward.

[@lonedragon3261]

So what is the star system with the greatest number of stars that we have discovered so far?

[@CarFreeSegnitz]

Six at this point: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TIC_168789840 Two sets of close binaries orbiting each other with a third close binary orbiting the inner four in a wider orbit. Any other arrangement would be unstable and fall apart after just a few orbits.

[@mikeoxmall69420]

​@@CarFreeSegnitzthere's probably three whole asteroids in that 😂

[@justinhannan1713]

There are 2 known systems with seven stars. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nu_Scorpii en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/AR_Cassiopeiae

[@innerstrengthcheck]

Brilliant (pun intended) as usual!

[@ccvcharger]

Alien visitor: Why are you humans so fixated on colonizing binary star systems? There are plenty of single stars like your Sun in the galaxy. Human: I don’t know. Check our closest neighbors. Alien: Oh. Right.

[@DeclanMBrennan]

Congratulations on your anniversary. You've already stress tested your marriage by enduring lockdown so I guess you're good for at least a Saturnian year or, you never know, even a Uranian year depending on how the health system improves. Long life and happiness to you both.

[@frankfowlkes7872]

Zeta Reticuli would be an interesting binary star system. 39 light years away both star are similar to the Sun and they separated by lass than 1/10 of a light year. This is still far apart but potentially close enough to study in depth. The stars though metal defienct to our Sun are between 2 to 3 billion year old.

[@raphmaster23]

So basically, we would be riding a planet being the third wheel to two dancing suns lol

[@RMSTitanicWSL]

You've been working hard to overcome your speech impediment. I think you should know it shows, and it is appreciated.

[@ASpaceOstrich]

Something I'd be interested in is some hypothetical where the Sol system became a binary system. It would be utter chaos most of the time, but what would stable examples be like? And if you could cheat the system a bit to get over the initial issues, what sort of stable setups could there be and how would it alter the system? Note, that I don't particularly care for two visible suns in the sky on Earth for this. The other object doesn't even need to be a star. A black hole would work just as well.

[@WildStar2002]

Alpha Centauri A is called Rigil Kentaurus, isn't it? 🤔Not just Rigil Kent.

[@KamikazeMedias]

Alfa centauri: closest system Meanwhile barnard star crying in the background:

[@Dogtroll]

You know what would be an interesting topic for a book. What if a binary star system had two habitable planets, one surrounding each star and both of them containing intelligent life but never actually discovering each other's existence. Would a situation like that be possible?

[@benjaminhenderson5025]

Not gonna lie, I miss the old speech impediment voice. Don't get me wrong, definitely live your best life, but you had the heart from the start.

[@WolfeSaber9933]

In a sci fi series I'm working on, there is a star system, on the other side of the galaxy, where two single Star systems merged together in the past.

[@seanlehning1542]

Trisolarans: "Write that down write that down!"

[@comentedonakeyboard]

Regarding the life extending weight loss the vampiric white dwarf might be considered a dietary dwarf

[@jchoneandonly]

Never had a problem with the impediment. Can regularly listen at 2x speed no problem.

[@dawall3732]

Happy vacation.

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

Thanks! 😃

[@andrewmichaelschaefferXIV]

Did cixin liu and netflix help inspire this episode?

[@prunoRecipes]

I would like to say I don't have any trouble understanding you, and you are fine just the way you are. I'm sure everyone who cares about you feels the same. If the surgery is for you and it is something you want, fine. Also, people like you. Pruno

[@mahatmarandy5977]

I’ve run simulations of an earthclone orbiting alpha centauri A in universe sandbox several times, and always end up with the planet getting too hot to be habitable. Is there an ideal stable distance that I just can’t find? Or can you simply not do a stable earthclone in that system?

[@peterxyz3541]

😴😴😴😴😴😴 Sunday morning vid 😂😂😂😂🤣😂👍🏼❤️

[@MasterRulesTheWorld]

I agree with several of the comments in here, I don't think your speech impediment is really an issue and your speech has become much better over the last few years. Regardless of that, your voice is unique, which makes you instantly recognizable (and that's a good thing). Think of Serj from System of a Down, everyone knows his voice and no one sounds like him. It's good not to sound like everyone else because that makes you stand out in and of itself.

[@erichtomanek4739]

The binary star system I want to live in is the one with the planet Norfolk. This is so I can drink Norfolk Tears on the cheap!

[@bitbucketcynic]

The fact that we still haven't found planets around Alpha Centauri bodes ill for binary planetary systems even existing in great numbers.

[@muninrob]

A 5 second google search indicates you don't know what you're talking about.... Proxima Centauri has two confirmed planets: Proxima b, an Earth-sized planet in the habitable zone discovered in 2016, and Proxima d, a candidate sub-Earth which orbits very closely to the star, announced in 2022. The existence of Proxima c, a mini-Neptune 1.5 AU away discovered in 2019, is controversial. Alpha Centauri A may have a Neptune-sized planet in the habitable zone, though it is not yet known with certainty to be planetary in nature and could be an artifact of the discovery mechanism. Alpha Centauri B has no known planets: planet Bb, purportedly discovered in 2012, was later disproven,[20] and no other planet has yet been confirmed.

[@docblade3270]

Maybe a binary with 2 red dwarfs could allow a habitable zone far away to not be tidally locked AND relatively safe form the solar blasts...if the planet is not ejected from the gravitacional interaction!

[@sarcasmo57]

Our sun, the lone wolf.

[@GubekochiGoury]

Could there be a habitable planet at the L1 Lagrange point of a binary star system?

[@Liethen]

Looking forward to the lava tubes and binaries.

[@joeqmix]

for a long time, I wondered what exotic foreign country your 'accent' was from. Or planet!

[@visions91]

Triple systems coming up?

[@maxpayne2574]

The channel that makes me feel smarter and dumb at the same time.

[@michaelmcchesney6645]

I was going to ask why the Cosmic Capitals episode was going to be released on a Wednesday, but then I saw the poster with the art has the date as May 16. So either you decided to release that weekly episode a day earlier than you've released all your regular episodes for almost a decade and got the date on the poster wrong, or the date on the list of episodes is a mistake. Obviously, one possibility is significantly more likely than the other. So Isaac, why are you releasing the episode on a Wednesday?

[@injunsun]

@IsaacArthur, is is possible for a habitable planet to have a figure-8 orbit around/between a binary? I have imagined a sci-fi story like that, where there is a second planet with life that orbits the binary either on the outside, or around its centre, perpendicular to their orbital plane. Imagining having your hottest Summer be when your world goes between its suns, and it's Winters are actually when they are on the far side of one or the other sun. Two Springs, two Autumns, sharing one Summer, and two Winters. And the other world, if orbiting outside the binary somehow, having similar, but if orbiting perpendicular, not exactly having seasons based on orbit, but on inclination. When they each have intelligent life, able to use telescopes, and they see each other at basically the same time., but with no way to reach the other.... Imagine if we humans had truly discovered advanced life on Mars a few hundred years ago. Telescopes catching moving vehicles, etc., and vice-versa, with each of us no way to reach the other. First, communication. Then, travel. But what if there was already cross-contamination of organisms between worlds, such that some microbes on each world could end all life on the other world? What shape does trade follow when the two species can't come into contact, share food? Would there be a massive push to advance medical tech to allow both worlds to share life-forms without horrific foreign invasive species issues?

[@cdobeson]

Fascinating as always, enjoy your vacation. As a fellow veteran, thank you for your service.