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Science

Which star is the closest to our Sun?

  • Proxima Centauri
  • Alpha Centauri A
  • Barnard's Star

The answer is Proxima Centauri. 4.24 light-years.

Proxima Centauri

Proxima Centauri is the nearest star to Earth after the Sun, located 4.25 light-years away in the southern constellation of Centaurus. Discovered in 1915 by Robert Innes, it is a small, low-mass star, too faint to be seen with the naked eye, with an apparent magnitude of 11.13. Proxima Centauri is a member of the Alpha Centauri star system, being identified as component Alpha Centauri C, and is 2.18° southwest of the Alpha Centauri AB pair. It is currently 12,950 AU (0.2 ly) from AB, which it orbits with a period of about 550,000 years. Its Latin name means the 'nearest [star] of Centaurus'.

Wikipedia · Proxima Centauri