Eu diria que eles estavam simplesmente seguindo a sabedoria convencional, Commonality of Binary Stars
Outra possibilidade é a Elipse Aparente
After a sufficient number of observations are recorded over a period of time, they are plotted in polar coordinates with the primary star at the origin, and the most probable ellipse is drawn through these points such that the Keplerian law of areas is satisfied. This ellipse is known as the apparent ellipse, and is the projection of the actual elliptical orbit of the secondary with respect to the primary on the plane of the sky.
Exemplo de ângulo de visão bonito:
