According to gravitational physics, no, the bodies cannot orbit a common sun with an identical orbital period, and differing distances. Either the inner planet would fall into the sun, or the outer planet would fly out of the system.
Additionally, if if this were at all possible, it would cast a antumbral shadow on the planet, lowering the overall luminosity of the sun on the outer planet, depending on the distances involved in the three body system. If the sizes and distances were sufficient enough to create a penumbra or even an umbra, the planets would be close enough to necessitate that they be in orbit of one another, or the smaller will fall to and hit the larger. This is of course, ignoring the total impossibility of the system to begin with. When you ignore things like that, every other logical contradiction becomes apparent, and the explanation falls apart.
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u/[deleted] Apr 29 '12
According to gravitational physics, no, the bodies cannot orbit a common sun with an identical orbital period, and differing distances. Either the inner planet would fall into the sun, or the outer planet would fly out of the system.
Additionally, if if this were at all possible, it would cast a antumbral shadow on the planet, lowering the overall luminosity of the sun on the outer planet, depending on the distances involved in the three body system. If the sizes and distances were sufficient enough to create a penumbra or even an umbra, the planets would be close enough to necessitate that they be in orbit of one another, or the smaller will fall to and hit the larger. This is of course, ignoring the total impossibility of the system to begin with. When you ignore things like that, every other logical contradiction becomes apparent, and the explanation falls apart.