Researchers at BRI have noticed a number of problems related to
the current theory of precession. While VLBI, laser ranging and other
related technologies do a good job at determining the earth’s
orientation, the sun’s movement through space has not been coordinated
with these findings resulting in unintentional bias of precession
inputs. In examining the phenomenon of precession of the equinox (which
was the original impetus for the development of lunisolar precession
theory) we have found that a binary orbit motion of our sun and solar
system is a simpler way to reproduce the same observable without any
of the problems associated with current precession theory. Indeed,
elliptical orbit equations have been found to be a better predictor
of precession rates than Newcomb's formula, showing about ten times
greater accuracyover the last hundred years. Moreover, a binary orbit
motion of our sun provides a solution to a number of solar system
formation theory enigmas including angular momentum. For these reasons,
BRI has concluded our sun is most likely part of a long cycle binary
system.
A binary system is two stars gravitationally bound orbiting a common
center of mass. The stars can be of the same or differing sizes and
orbits can be as short as a few days or as long as thousands of years.
The short ones are easy to detect, the long ones difficult, some probably
impossible to detect because of the very long observation period required.
While there is no obvious visible companion star to our Sun, there
could be a dark binary, such as a brown dwarf or possibly a relatively
small black hole, either of which might be very difficult to detect,
without accurate and lengthy analysis.
Beyond direct detection – one way to determine if we are in
a binary system is to see if the Sun is curving through space. To
us on Earth that means we should experience a gradual “changing
orientation to inertial space.” Such a phenomenon is observed
as the precession of the equinox.
