Alpha Centauri
Closest stellar neighbor
Alpha Centauri is the closest star system to our sun, about four light-years away in the constellation Centaurus.
It consists of three stars: a binary pair (Alpha Centauri A and B) and the red dwarf Proxima Centauri.
The system appears frequently in science fiction as humanity's most plausible interstellar destination: The colony ship set course for Alpha Centauri.
Nearest stellar neighbor
- red dwarfLow-mass, cool star
- main sequenceStable stellar burning phase
- yellow dwarfMedium-sized hydrogen-burning star
- luminosityIntrinsic brightness of source
habitable zone · photosphere · corona · solar flare · chromosphere · heliosphere · stellar wind · starlight
Southern centaur constellation
- Southern CrossSouthern hemisphere constellation
- CruxSouthern hemisphere constellation
- southern hemisphereRegion below the equator
- circumpolarAround the pole
- light-yearsUnits of astronomical distance
- parsecInterstellar length measure
- distance measurementQuantifying spatial intervals
Two stars orbiting together
- double starTwo stars orbiting together
- barycenterMutual orbit point
- orbital mechanicsScience of celestial motion
- tidal forcesDifferential gravitational pull across bodies
Voyaging between distant suns
- light sailSpacecraft propelled by photons
- space probeRobotic interplanetary research vessel
- destinationIntended arrival point
- generation shipMultigenerational interstellar spacecraft
Proxima Centauri
Nearest stellar neighbor
- red dwarfLow-mass, cool star
- main sequenceStable stellar burning phase
- yellow dwarfMedium-sized hydrogen-burning star
luminosity · habitable zone · photosphere · corona · solar flare · chromosphere · heliosphere · stellar wind · starlight · magnitude
Centaurus
Southern centaur constellation
- Southern CrossSouthern hemisphere constellation
- CruxSouthern hemisphere constellation
- southern hemisphereRegion below the equator
nearest star
- light-yearsUnits of astronomical distance
- parsecInterstellar length measure
- distance measurementQuantifying spatial intervals
binary star
Two stars orbiting together
- double starTwo stars orbiting together
- barycenterMutual orbit point
- orbital mechanicsScience of celestial motion
interstellar travel
Voyaging between distant suns
- light sailSpacecraft propelled by photons
- space probeRobotic interplanetary research vessel
- destinationIntended arrival point
Alpha CentauriPolaris
Celestial north marker
North Star · Ursa Major · Big Dipper · Cassiopeia · Vega
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