Orbital Elements ( Binary Stars)
When we have made observations of a binary system of stars, we wish to be able to deduce a set of numbers that describe completely the orbit of the stars in time and space. This set of parameters is known as the ORBITAL ELEMENTS of the binary system. As we shall see, it is not always possible to obtain a complete set of orbital elements. We often have to satisfy ourselves with merely a sub-set of them. It is these parameters which the observer of a binary system sets out to measure