Alpha Centauri
Alpha Centauri is the closest star system to ours. It is a triple star system consisting of three stars: Alpha Centauri A (Rigil Kentaurus), Alpha Centauri B (Toliman) and Alpha Centauri C (Proxima Centauri).
Facts About Alpha Centauri:
- The two main stars, Alpha Centauri A and B, are similar to the Sun. They orbit a common centre of gravity and together they form the binary star Alpha Centauri AB. They orbit each other every 80 years.
- Proxima Centauri, a red dwarf star, is slightly closer to us. It's about 13,000 AU from A & B (400x Neptune's orbit). Its exact orbit/path is unknown.
- Alpha Centauri is moving closer to us but will only get as close as 3.2 ly (in about 27,000 years, in the constellation Hydra) before moving away again. In about 100,000 years it will no longer be naked-eye visible (in the constellation Telescopium).
Classification: Binary Star System
Names: Alpha Centauri, Rigil Kentaurus, Toliman
Constellation: CentaurusDistance: 4.13e+13 km (04 ly)