h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi GB! I've just started on your Entry, apologies for taking so long to get here.

I am intrigued by the status of alpha Centauri's two 'companion stars'. In what sense are they companions? What puzzles me is, if they revolve around each other, how can one be described as nearer to us?

Hi Recumbentman

The bright star Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B form a tight binary system. Alpha Centauri C, aka Proxima Centauri, is the one which comes closest to us at 4.2 light years. Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B do not come closer to us than 4.35 light years. They are all influenced by each other's gravity which makes them "companions" even though Proxima is some distance away from the binary pair.

GB

Thanks. Binary system means twirling? But affected by gravity doesn't go that far?

You're welcome. Binary system means they revolve around each other. The greater the distance the less the effect, but I honestly don't know the cut-off point, if there even is one.

Were there any more questions?

Sorry for my taking so long subbing you! I'm a little snowed under at the moment!

I've done an edit at A87768382

With sadness and reluctance I have removed all dashes except those inside the first blockquote, as I gather that h2g2 does not use them. I have put in a question to confirm this at A41950046/conversation/view/F11419292/T8296802 and if I'm mistaken I will happily reinstate them.

The major violence I have done is to replace the word 'mass' with size in the Jovian scale description. Hope I'm right.

Please scan my changes and complain here.

I'm not sure you'll get an answer there, you'd be better off asking your question at Trello

That's fine, thanks for subbing this for me

Right! I'll ask at Trello, and subject to that I'll return this to the Eds

Thanks very much

It appears we no longer ban en-dashes so I'll put them back in. Actually I prefer em-dashes in most dashy situations, hope you won't mind a few of those?

Other style guides recommend en-dashes in dates (1948--2012) so maybe we can go that way. I think that's what you had in fact?

Blimey.

The style I use is – for dashes, no m-dash at all and a hyphen for dates