Alpha Centauri
Sign in to savetriple star system in the constellation Centaurus, where one of the three stars, Proxima Centauri, being the closest star to the Earth
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Alpha Centauri is a system of three stars located in the constellation Centaurus, with one of them, Proxima Centauri, being the closest star to Earth. It matters because its proximity makes it a key target for scientific study and a natural focus for discussions about potential future human space exploration.
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Alpha Centauri (α Centauri, α Cen, or Alpha Cen) is a star system in the southern constellation of Centaurus. It consists of three stars: Rigil Kentaurus (α Centauri A), Toliman (α Centauri B), and Proxima Centauri (α Centauri C). Proxima Centauri is the closest star to the Sun at 4.2465 light-years (ly), which is 1.3020 parsecs (pc), while Alpha Centauri A and B are the nearest stars visible to the naked eye.
Rigil Kentaurus and Toliman are Sun-like stars (class G and K, respectively) that together form the binary star system α Centauri AB. To the naked eye, these two main components appear to be a single star with an apparent magnitude of −0.27. It is the brightest star in the constellation and the third-brightest in the night sky, outshone by only Sirius and Canopus. α Centauri AB are the nearest binary stars to the Sun at a distance of 4.344 ly (1.33 pc).