Proxima Centauri: The Closest Star
Explanation:
What is the closest star to our
Sun?
It is
Proxima Centauri, the
nearest member of the
Alpha Centauri triple star system.
Light takes only 4.22 years to reach us from
Proxima Centauri.
This
small red star, captured in the center of the
above image,
is so faint that it was only
discovered in 1915 and is only visible through a telescope.
Stars of all types from our
Milky Way Galaxy
are visible in the background.
The brightest star in the
Alpha Centauri
system is quite similar to our Sun,
has been known as long as recorded history,
and is the fourth
brightest star in the
night sky.
The
Alpha Centauri system
is primarily visible from
Earth's Southern Hemisphere.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
