Discovering Nu Scorpii's Complex Stellar Network

 Nu Scorpii, commonly referred to as Jabbah, is a captivating fourth-magnitude blue star located within the Scorpio constellation. Although it may seem like a typical star at first sight, Nu Scorpii is, in fact, a highly unique multiple star system consisting of a minimum of five components, and potentially up to seven!

The existence of multiple star systems with numerous components is an incredibly rare phenomenon, as they are inherently unstable and generally disintegrate into smaller subsystems over time. If the presence of seven stars in Nu Scorpii is confirmed, it would become the most complex known system.

Nu Scorpii can be initially categorized into two primary subgroups: Nu Scorpii AB and Nu Scorpii CD. However, their close proximity renders them indistinguishable to the naked eye.

Nu Scorpii AB, the first subgroup, includes the secondary component (B) with uncertain physical properties, which orbits the primary component (A). Component A is a fascinating triple system that can be analyzed through spectroscopy. The primary component, Aa, is the brightest star in the entire system and identified as a B-type main sequence star. The other two components, Ab and Ac, revolve around Aa with a period spanning just a few days. Thus, the Nu Scorpii AB subsystem is likely comprised of four stars.

On the other hand, Nu Scorpii CD is a triple system further divided into two subsystems. The brightest among the three stars is C, which shares the B spectral type. A binary system consisting of stars Da and Db orbits around C, and while they are possibly a spectral binary, little information is available about these two stars.

Image Credit: Palomar Observatory.