The nearest Stars: Alpha Centauri (original) (raw)

The third brightest star in the sky is a system made of 3 stars: Alpha Centauri A, B and the star next to us, Proxima Centauri.
The sunlike Alpha Centauri A and the orange B could have planets. Proxima is a red dwarf and a flare star, which from time to time shows intense bursts.

Constellation: Centaurus
Age: 6 billion years
Distance of A and B: 4.395 light-years
Space between Alpha Centauri A and B: 24 AU
Orbit period of Alpha Centauri A and B: 79.92 years
Space between Proxima Centauri and A/B: 17 652 AU
Orbit period of Proxima Centauri around A and B: 500 000 years

| Alpha Centauri A Spectral class: G2 Visual magnitude: 0.01 Luminosity: 1.567 * Sun Mass: 1.1 * Sun Diameter: 1.227 * Sun Radial velocity: -26.2 km/sec | | Alpha Centauri B Spectral class: K4 Visual magnitude: 1.34 Luminosity: 0.460 * Sun Mass: 0.85 * Sun Diameter: 0.865 * Sun Radial velocity: -18.1 km/sec | | Proxima Centauri Spectral class: M5e Visual magnitude: 11.05 Luminosity: 0.0000555 * Sun Mass: 0.123 * Sun Diameter: 0.145 * Sun Radial velocity: -16 km/sec Distance: 4.223 light-years | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |

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The bright spot consists of the components A and B (inserted as photomontage), the arrow marks Proxima Centauri.
Photo: ESO