Planet in Barycenter.

[daniel l.]

I was wondering if a planet might be caught in the barycenter of two stars and held in place without being ripped apart, is that even possible.

[CptRichardson]

I was wondering if a planet might be caught in the barycenter of two stars and held in place without being ripped apart, is that even possible.

You mean the lagrange point between them? Yeah, sure. I guess. I wouldn't know how in the hell you'd pull that off, but if you could, it theoretically should work.

[Shpaget]

Sure, but it would not be stable. Just a slightest perturbation would send the planet towards one star.

[Rakaydos]

L1,2, and 3 are not stable. (that's the points in line with the two primary bodies)

L4 and L5, however, are dynamically stable. (this has the two suns 60 degrees apart in the sky)

[PB666]

L1,2, and 3 are not stable. (that's the points in line with the two primary bodies)

L4 and L5, however, are dynamically stable. (this has the two suns 60 degrees apart in the sky)

They could be stable in a three body problem, But not for N-body. Since a star looses mass over time, if the star lost mass at diifereny rates it would be unstable.

[K^2]

It is dynamically unstable either way. Plot the effective potential of the system.

[Thomassino]

On the similar note, I was wondering whether is it possible to put an object into Pluto-Charon barycenter. Could that object be on a relatively stable position for a short amount of time, for example 1 year? What are your opinions on this scenario?

[K^2]

Very unlikely. Even if Pluto-Charon itself has stable enough field at the barcenter, any minute perturbation would knock an object out of that point. And there is a lot of crap buzzing about in Pluto's vicinity. It's like trying to balance a pencil on its tip during an earthquake.