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Position is relative, as it depends on the reference frame. We usually visualize the sun at the center of the solar system. BUT, we can also visualize the Earth at the center of the solar system, with the sun orbiting around it and the planets orbiting around the sun. Therefore, shouldn't we be theoretically be able to see a star orbiting around a planet? (given that the planet happens to be stationary relative to the Earth)?

Brandon Enright
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user37978
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  • do you mean see or interpret? – user18764 Jan 22 '14 at 16:42
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    The Sun is orbiting Saturn as we speak. – David H Jan 22 '14 at 16:47
  • If you take the three body system comprised of a star, its planet and the Earth, then I think you will struggle to find a stable configuration in which the planet and the Earth are stationary relative to each other. – John Rennie Jan 22 '14 at 17:23
  • @JohnRennie I disagree... but the unit of length / scale length / whatever you want to call it will be time dependent, so it will be a real mess, virtually impossible to interpret using "normal" intuition. – Kyle Oman Jan 22 '14 at 22:28

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2 objects will orbit about their common centre, that is to say they will be accelerating towards this centre. Something that is stationary/at constant velocity is not accelerating.

binaryfunt
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