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α Centauri (Latinised to Alpha Centauri) is the system's designation given by J. Bayer in 1603. It belongs to the constellation Centaurus, named after the half human, half horse creature in Greek mythology. Hercules accidentally wounded the centaur and placed him in the sky after his death. Alpha Centauri marks the right front hoof ...
Mar 5, 2023 · Alpha Centauri is the closest star to Earth other than the sun, but Alpha Centauri A and B aren't number two and three. Read about the other stars that are closest to the solar system.
Jun 6, 2018 · Alpha Centauri is a triple star system located just over four light years, or about 25 trillion miles, from Earth. While this is a large distance in terrestrial terms, it is three times closer than the next nearest Sun-like star.
Jun 10, 2024 · Alpha Centauri, triple star system that contains Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the Sun, about 4.2 light-years distant. The system is the third brightest star in the sky. The nearest extrasolar planets are the three planets that orbit Proxima Centauri.
Aug 30, 2020 · Alpha Centauri (α Cen) is a triple star system located in the constellation Centaurus. It is the nearest star system to the Sun and the third brightest point of light in the sky outside the solar system, after Sirius and Canopus. It outshines the northern luminaries Arcturus, Vega and Capella.
Apr 16, 2023 · Alpha Centauri, the 3rd-brightest star in the sky, photographed in Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia, by Alan Dyer. A faint swarm of stars to the right is the star cluster NGC 5617. Across the...
Jul 6, 2014 · Alpha Centauri is a binary star system consisting of Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B. It is sometimes referred to as Alpha Centauri AB (α Cen AB). The combined apparent magnitude of the system is –0.27, making it the brightest star seen from Earth other than Sirius (-1.46) in the constellation Canis Major and Canopus (-0.72 ...
Sep 2, 2016 · The closest star system to the Earth is the famous Alpha Centauri group. Located in the constellation of Centaurus (The Centaur), at a distance of 4.3 light-years, this system is made up of the binary formed by the stars Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B, plus the faint red dwarf Alpha Centauri C, also […]
Jul 3, 2011 · Alpha Centauri A, also known as Rigil Kentaurus, is the brightest star in the constellation of Centaurus and is the fourth brightest star in the night sky. Sirius is the brightest even thought it is more than twice as far away.
Jun 13, 2023 · 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.
