I wonder whether that's a comparable confusion to our cycles and epicycles when we still assumed that the earth was the centre of the solar system. Movements of objects through the sky wasn't exactly simple either, but there was an explanation that simplified things immensely. I guess figuring out that there is a binary star might just be such a discovery that simplifies explanations for them. Might take a while, but sooner or later someone should think of it, I guess.
