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Credit & Copyright: 1-Meter Schmidt Telescope,
ESO
Explanation:
The closest star system to the Sun is the
Alpha Centauri system.
Of the three stars in the system, the dimmest -- called
Proxima Centauri
-- is actually the
nearest star.
The bright stars
Alpha Centauri A and B form a close
binary
as they are separated by only 23 times the
Earth- Sun distance - slightly greater than the distance between
Uranus and the
Sun.
In the above picture,
the brightness of the stars overwhelm the
photograph causing an illusion of great size, even though the
stars are really just small points of light.
The
Alpha Centauri system is not visible in much of the
northern hemisphere.
Alpha Centauri A, also known as
Rigil Kentaurus, is the brightest star in the constellation of
Centaurus and is the fourth brightest star in the night sky.
Sirius is the brightest
even thought it is more than twice as far away.
By an exciting coincidence,
Alpha Centauri A is the same type of star as our
Sun,
causing many to
speculate
that it might contain planets that harbor life.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Alpha Centauri - Proxima Centauri
Publications with words: Alpha Centauri - Proxima Centauri
See also: