multiple star

noun Astronomy.

three or more stars lying close together in the celestial sphere and usually united in a single gravitational system.

Origin of multiple star

First recorded in 1840–50

Words nearby multiple star

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British Dictionary definitions for multiple star

multiple star

noun

a system of three or more stars associated by gravitation See also binary star

Scientific definitions for multiple star

multiple star

A system of three or more stars that are bound together by gravity and orbit a common center of mass. The group generally appears as a single star to the naked eye. Astronomers believe that most stars in the universe are part of multiple or binary systems. Alpha Centauri, the closest star to our Sun, is a multiple star system containing three bodies. See also binary star.