Alpha Centauri Stellar System
At 4.3 light-years away, Alpha Centauri A and B are the nearest Sun-like stars to our solar system. They orbit with Proxima Centauri as a triple star system.
Alpha Centauri A is a Class G star that is 1.1 times the mass of the Sun. Alpha Centauri B is slightly cooler Class K star that is 0.9 times the mass of the Sun. Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the Sun, is a much smaller and cooler star, called a red dwarf.
While no planets have been found around Alpha Centauri A or B, Proxima Centauri has two confirmed planets.
Pan from our Sun to the Alpha Centauri Stellar System
An alternate view
Pan from our sun to the Alpha Centauri Stellar system 4.3 Light-years away.
An alternate view
The Alpha Centauri system, with a focus on A and B.
An alternate view
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab
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Animator
- Jenny McElligott (Advocates in Manpower Management, Inc.)
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Technical support
- Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET Systems, Inc.)
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Producers
- Joy Ng (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)
- Miles S. Hatfield (Telophase)
Release date
This page was originally published on Tuesday, June 13, 2023.
This page was last updated on Thursday, June 15, 2023 at 9:22 AM EDT.
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- ID: 14362
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