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Credit: T. J. Henry et al.,
RECONS Team
Explanation:
Which stars are closest to the Sun?
The closest is Proxima Centauri, one of three stars that
orbit each other about 4 light-years away in the
Alpha-Centauri system.
Alpha Centauri is easily visible from
Earth's Southern Hemisphere.
Next is
Barnard's Star, a dim star visible with a
telescope in the constellation of
Ophiuchus.
Sirius,
the brightest star in the night sky, is part of the
fifth closest star system, from which
light takes 8.6 years to reach us.
The
nearest 25
star systems are shown on the
above map, out to 13
light-years.
Past that there are probably stars so dim that their
proximity has not yet been discovered.
Research continues in trying to identify an
estimated 130 missing star systems out to 32 light-years.
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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: Sun - Solar Neighborhood - star
Publications with words: Sun - Solar Neighborhood - star
See also: