multiple star

noun, Astronomy
1.
three or more stars lying close together in the celestial sphere and usually united in a single gravitational system.
Origin
1840-50
Examples from the web for multiple star
  • Typically, multiple star plots will be displayed on the same page.
  • It's not likely to have a multiple star system, so that technique of confirmation won't be available.
British Dictionary definitions for multiple star

multiple star

noun
1.
a system of three or more stars associated by gravitation See also binary star
multiple star in Science
multiple star  
A system of three or more stars that are bound together by gravity and orbit a common center of mass. The group generally appears as a single star to the naked eye. Astronomers believe that most stars in the universe are part of multiple or binary systems. Alpha Centauri, the closest star to our Sun, is a multiple star system containing three bodies. See also binary star.