I have a binary system. The primary star is F- or G-class; the secondary is K-class, 20AU away, and in a small reflection nebula (suggested here). A planet orbits the primary in the habitable zone. This article suggests that F, G, and K classes can all support habitable planets; it's talking about unary stars, but @HDE226868 suggested in chat that this range works for binary stars too.
The reason for the reflection nebula is to make the secondary star bright enough to illuminate the planet when it's in range. During some times of year the planet will experience continuous light, but the light from the two stars is different. The primary produces the yellowish light that we're familiar with from our own sun, and the secondary produces...what?
Without the nebula, a K-class star would produce pale yellow or orange light. The gas in a nebula scatters the light from nearby stars in different ways, which can change its color. For example, Messier 78 looks like this in space:
I've been told that reflection nebulas are biased toward being blue, though I don't know how that's affected by star type.
How do I figure out what my star in a nebula looks like from my planet, particularly the color of its light, taking into account:
- K-class star
- in a reflection nebula
- viewed from the surface of a habitable planet?