What is a spectroscopic binary?
A) a spectroscopic binary looks, to us on Earth, like a single star, but its spectrum shows double lines that shift
B) a visual binary for which we have spectra of both stars
C) a visual binary in which one or both stars have peculiar spectra
D) a visual binary that is shown by its spectrum to be a single star

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A spectroscopic binary appears as a single star from Earth, but its spectrum reveals double lines that shift due to the Doppler effect, indicating the presence of two stars orbiting each other.

What Is a Spectroscopic Binary