Astronomy & space · University
Kepler period with a central mass ratio · formula reference
Use the approximate AU-year-solar-mass two-body model with negligible companion mass.
Formula
Use the approximate AU-year-solar-mass two-body model with negligible companion mass.
P(years) = sqrt(a(AU)³/M(solar masses))
Worked example
A negligible-mass companion has semimajor axis 14 AU around a star of 2.5 solar masses. Use P²=a³/M in AU, years and solar masses. Find P. Round the final result to 4 decimal places if needed. Answer in years.
Compute sqrt(14³/2.5) under the stated two-body scaling.
33.13 years
Prerequisites and checking
Algebra and the topic definitions. Keep units and rounding consistent. State the model conditions before applying the formula.
Further reading and review references
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