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Written by Administrator
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Wednesday, 14 September 2011 20:40 |
| Star Name |
Description |
Distance in Light years |
Spectral type |
| Proxima Centauri |
The closest star to our our own solar system will not always be closest, but it will be a long time before that happens. Proxima Centauri is the third star in the Alpha Centauri star system, also known as Alpha Centauri C. |
4.2 LY |
M5.5Vc |
| Rigil Kentaurus |
The second closest star is a tie between the sister stars of Proxima Centauri. Alpha Centauri A and B make up the other two stars of the triple star system Alpha Centauri. |
4.3 LY |
G2V |
| Barnard's Star |
A faint red dwarf star, discovered in 1916 by E. E. Barnard, recent efforts to discover planets around Barnard's Star have failed. |
5.9 LY |
M3.8V |
| Wolf 359 |
Known to many as thelocation of a famous battle on Star Trek the Next generation, Wolf 359 is a red dwarf. It is so small that if it were to replace our sun, an observer on Earth would need a telescope to see it clearly. |
7.7 LY |
M5.8Vc |
| Lalande 21185 |
While it is the fifth closest star to our own sun, Lalande 21185 is about three times too faint to be seen with the naked eye. |
8.26 LY |
M2V |
| Luyten 726-8A and B |
Discovered by Willem Jacob Luyten (1899-1994), both Luyten 726-8A 726-8B are red dwarfs and too faint to be seen with the naked eye. |
8.73 LY |
M5.5 de & M6 Ve |
| Sirius A and B |
Sirius, also known as the Dog Star, is the brightest star in the sky. Sirius B, the companion, has received considerable attention itself, since it is the first white dwarf with a spectrum to show a gravitational red shift as predicted by the general theory of relativity. |
8.6 LY |
A1Vm |
| Ross 154 |
Ross 154 appears to be a flare star, which means that it can increase its brightness by a factor of 10 or more before reverting to its normal state, a process which takes only a few minutes. |
9.693 LY |
M3.5 |
| Ross 248 |
While it is now the ninth closest star to our solar system, around the year 38000AD, the red dwarf Ross 248 will take the place of Proxima Centauri as the closest star to us. |
10.32 LY |
M5.5V |
| Epsilon Eridani |
Eridani (tenth closest star to Earth) is the closest star known to have a planet, Epsilon Eridani b. It is the third closest star that is viewable without a telescope. |
10.5 LY |
K2V |
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 14 September 2011 21:16 |
