Binary star systems are easy, but what about three or more star systems?

[Oman MkII]

I've started exploring as of late, and come across some binary stars. Easy enough to find the second star, line up the first and the centre of the system and then follow the trajectory. But what about larger systems?

I found that one such system had one major star with two dwarf stars in orbit of each other which effectively mimicked a binary system, but what would the orbits of other three star systems look like and how might I find them?

 

[Fen Harel]

If you have an ADS they are all displayed in your system map. Typically the stars pair up, with 2 in close orbit and that grouping in orbit around a third. If you are trying to locate them my eye, that can be harder when their are so many hierarchies.

 

[Armante]

Using my ADS I routinely find systems with 3, 4 and even 5 stars. Eyeballing them would be difficult I guess particularly as some are a very big distance out.

Perhaps just looking for movement in paralax will be your best bet

 

[gazelle]

If you go into the galaxy map and select the system you'll have the gravity center of the system as target. The other stars are somewhere beyond that.

 

[Oman MkII]

It appears my "instant" notifications aren't working..

Anyway, I don't have an ADS yet (few million short) so I've been eyeballing mostly. I've been able to find several systems as suggested, but what would the orbits of a typical system with multiple stars look like? It'd be interesting and would help a great deal knowing where to look. Parallax is a really handy, but it only really helps when you know where to look.. and even then its hard to tell if the stars are 100k Ls or so, or if it's even worth trying to find them.

 

[Shaele]

There are some interesting systems out there.

I've seen 3 gas giants all with moon systems orbiting each other.

I've seen a system with 1 main star, but 5 stars orbiting it with their own planetary systems (this wasn't a normal system where the stars orbit each other, they all orbited the main star like planets)

And finally I've seen a system with 5 stars orbiting each other and no planets at all

The game system can generate some awesome looking systems, makes me keep going out to find more.

 

[CMDR Starschulz]

Like this?

Spoiler

 

[Cmdr Spooky]

Using my ADS I routinely find systems with 3, 4 and even 5 stars. Eyeballing them would be difficult I guess particularly as some are a very big distance out.

Perhaps just looking for movement in paralax will be your best bet

I found a system with 17 stars once when i was on my way out to Mintaka

 

[Luzzifus]

I've seen a system with 1 main star, but 5 stars orbiting it with their own planetary systems (this wasn't a normal system where the stars orbit each other, they all orbited the main star like planets)

I've found similar systems too. O-Star-systems tend to be like this:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/luzzifus/16644733833/in/set-72157649839220364