Proxima Centauri - wikipedia Proxima Centauri This article is about the star in the Alpha Centauri system. For other uses, see Proxima Centauri ( disambiguation ). Coordinates : 14 29 42.9487, − 62 ° 40 ′ 46.141 '' Proxima Centauri Proxima Centauri as seen by Hubble Observation data Epoch J2000. 0 Equinox J2000. 0 ( ICRS ) Constellation Centaurus Pronunciation UK : / ˌprɒksɪmə sɛnˈtɔːraɪ /, US : / - ˈtɔːri / Right ascension 14 29 42.94853 Declination − 62 ° 40 ′ 46.1631 '' Apparent magnitude ( V ) 11.13 Characteristics Evolutionary stage Main sequence red dwarf Spectral type M6Ve Apparent magnitude ( U ) 14.21 Apparent magnitude ( B ) 12.95 Apparent magnitude ( V ) 11.13 Apparent magnitude ( R ) 9.45 Apparent magnitude ( I ) 7.41 Apparent magnitude ( J ) 7000535700000000000 ♠ 5.357 ± 0.023 Apparent magnitude ( H ) 7000483500000000000 ♠ 4.835 ± 0.057 Apparent magnitude ( K ) 7000438400000000000 ♠ 4.384 ± 0.033 U − B color index 1.26 B − V color index 1.82 V − R color index 1.68 R − I color index 2.04 J − H color index 0.522 J − K color index 0.973 Variable type UV Ceti ( `` flare star '' ) Astrometry Radial velocity ( R ) 2998777959999999999 ♠ − 22.204 ± 0.032 km / s Proper motion ( μ ) RA : − 3775.75 mas / yr Dec. : 765.54 mas / yr Parallax ( π ) 768.5 ± 0.2 mas Distance 4.244 ± 0.001 ly ( 1.3012 ± 0.0003 pc ) Absolute magnitude ( M ) 15.60 Orbit Primary Alpha Centauri AB Companion Proxima Centauri Period ( P ) 7005547000000000000 ♠ 547 000 + 6600 − 4000 yr Semi-major axis ( a ) 7015130150147509000 ♠ 8700 + 700 − 400 AU Eccentricity ( e ) 6999500000000000000 ♠ 0.50 + 0.08 − 0.09 Inclination ( i ) 7002107600000000000 ♠ 107.6 + 1.8 − 2.0 ° Longitude of the node ( Ω ) 7002126000000000000 ♠ 126 ± 5 ° Periastron epoch ( T ) 7002283000000000000 ♠ + 283 + 59 − 41 Argument of periastron ( ω ) ( secondary ) 7001723000000000000 ♠ 72.3 + 8.7 − 6.6 ° Details Mass 6999122100000000000 ♠ 0.1221 ± 0.0022 M Radius 6999154200000000000 ♠ 0.1542 ± 0.0045 R Luminosity ( bolometric ) 0.0017 L Luminosity ( visual, L ) 0.00005 L Surface gravity ( log g ) 7000520000000000000 ♠ 5.20 ± 0.23 cgs Temperature 7003304200000000000 ♠ 3042 ± 117 K Metallicity ( Fe / H ) 0.21 dex Rotation 7001826000000000000 ♠ 82.6 ± 0.1 days Rotational velocity ( v sin i ) < 0.1 km / s Age 4.85 Gyr Other designations Alpha Centauri C, CCDM J14396 - 6050C, GCTP 3278.00, GJ 551, HIP 70890, LFT 1110, LHS 49, LPM 526, LTT 5721, NLTT 37460, V645 Centauri Database references SIMBAD data ARICNS data Proxima Centauri ( from Latin, meaning ' nearest ( star ) of Centaurus ' ), or Alpha Centauri C, is a red dwarf, a small low - mass star, about 4.25 light - years ( 1.30 pc ) from the Sun in the constellation of Centaurus. It was discovered in 1915 by the Scottish astronomer Robert Innes, the Director of the Union Observatory in South Africa, and is the nearest - known star to the Sun. With an apparent magnitude of 11.05, it is too faint to be seen with the naked eye. Proxima Centauri forms a third component of the Alpha Centauri trinary star system, currently with a separation of about 12,950 AU ( 1.94 trillion km ) and an orbital period of 550,000 years. At present Proxima is 2.18 ° to the southwest of Alpha Centauri. Because of Proxima Centauri 's proximity to Earth, its angular diameter can be measured directly. The star is about one - seventh the actual diameter of the Sun. It has a mass about an eighth of the Sun 's mass ( M ), and its average density is about 33 times that of the Sun. Although it has a very low average luminosity, Proxima is a flare star that undergoes random dramatic increases in brightness because of magnetic activity. The star 's magnetic field is created by convection throughout the stellar body, and the resulting flare activity generates a total X-ray emission similar to that produced by the Sun. The mixing of the fuel at Proxima Centauri 's core through convection and its relatively low energy - production rate mean that it will be a main - sequence star for another four trillion years, or nearly 300 times the current age of the universe. In 2016, the European Southern Observatory announced the discovery of Proxima b, a planet orbiting the star at a distance of roughly 0.05 AU ( 7.5 million km ) with an orbital period of approximately 11.2 Earth days. Its estimated mass is at least 1.3 times that of the Earth. The equilibrium temperature of Proxima b is estimated to be within the range of where water could exist as liquid on its surface, thus placing it within the habitable zone of Proxima Centauri, although because Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf and a flare star, whether it could support life is disputed. Previous searches for orbiting companions had ruled out the presence of brown dwarfs and supermassive planets. Contents 1 Observation 2 Characteristics 2.1 Distance and motion 3 Planetary system 3.1 Habitable zone 4 Interstellar travel 5 See also 6 References 6.1 Explanatory notes 6.2 Citations 7 External links Observation In 1915, the Scottish astronomer Robert Innes, Director of the Union Observatory in Johannesburg, South Africa, discovered a star that had the same proper motion as Alpha Centauri. He suggested that it be named Proxima Centauri ( actually Proxima Centaurus ). In 1917, at the Royal Observatory at the Cape of Good Hope, the Dutch astronomer Joan Voûte measured the star 's trigonometric parallax at 6994366034329237700 ♠ 0.755 '' ± 0.028 '' and determined that Proxima Centauri was approximately the same distance from the Sun as Alpha Centauri. It was also found to be the lowest - luminosity star known at the time. An equally accurate parallax determination of Proxima Centauri was made by American astronomer Harold L. Alden in 1928, who confirmed Innes 's view that it is closer, with a parallax of 6994379609112308767 ♠ 0.783 '' ± 0.005 ''. Stars closest to the Sun, including Proxima Centauri In 1951, American astronomer Harlow Shapley announced that Proxima Centauri is a flare star. Examination of past photographic records showed that the star displayed a measurable increase in magnitude on about 8 % of the images, making it the most active flare star then known. The proximity of the star allows for detailed observation of its flare activity. In 1980, the Einstein Observatory produced a detailed X-ray energy curve of a stellar flare on Proxima Centauri. Further observations of flare activity were made with the EXOSAT and ROSAT satellites, and the X-ray emissions of smaller, solar - like flares were observed by the Japanese ASCA satellite in 1995. Proxima Centauri has since been the subject of study by most X-ray observatories, including XMM - Newton and Chandra. In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names ( WGSN ) to catalogue and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN approved the name Proxima Centauri for this star on August 21, 2016 and it is now so included in the List of IAU - approved Star Names. Because of Proxima Centauri 's southern declination, it can only be viewed south of latitude 27 ° N. Red dwarfs such as Proxima Centauri are far too faint to be seen with the naked eye. Even from Alpha Centauri A or B, Proxima would only be seen as a fifth magnitude star. It has an apparent visual magnitude of 11, so a telescope with an aperture of at least 8 cm ( 3.1 in ) is needed to observe it, even under ideal viewing conditions -- under clear, dark skies with Proxima Centauri well above the horizon. Characteristics Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf, because it belongs to the main sequence on the Hertzsprung -- Russell diagram and is of spectral class M6. M6 means that it falls in the low - mass end of M - type stars. Its absolute visual magnitude, or its visual magnitude as viewed from a distance of 10 parsecs ( 33 ly ), is 15.5. Its total luminosity over all wavelengths is 0.17 % that of the Sun, although when observed in the wavelengths of visible light the eye is most sensitive to, it is only 0.0056 % as luminous as the Sun. More than 85 % of its radiated power is at infrared wavelengths. It has a regular activity cycle of starspots. This illustration shows the comparative sizes of ( from left to right ) the Sun, α Centauri A, α Centauri B, and Proxima Centauri. The two bright points are the Alpha Centauri system ( left ) and Beta Centauri ( right ). The faint red star in the centre of the red circle is Proxima Centauri. In 2002, optical interferometry with the Very Large Telescope ( VLTI ) found that the angular diameter of Proxima Centauri was 6991494509954731727 ♠ 1.02 ± 0.08 mas. Because its distance is known, the actual diameter of Proxima Centauri can be calculated to be about 1 / 7 that of the Sun, or 1.5 times that of Jupiter. The star 's estimated mass is 12.2 % M, or 129 Jupiter masses ( M ). The mean density of main - sequence stars increase with decreasing mass, and Proxima Centauri is no exception : it has a mean density of 47.1 × 10 kg / m ( 47.1 g / cm ), compared with the Sun 's mean density of 1.411 × 10 kg / m ( 1.411 g / cm ). A 1998 study of photometric variations indicates that Proxima Centauri rotates once every 83.5 days. A subsequent time series analysis of chromospheric indicators in 2002 suggests a longer rotation period of 7002116600000000000 ♠ 116.6 ± 0.7 days. This was subsequently ruled out in favor of a rotation period of 7001826000000000000 ♠ 82.6 ± 0.1 days. Because of its low mass, the interior of the star is completely convective, causing energy to be transferred to the exterior by the physical movement of plasma rather than through radiative processes. This convection means that the helium ash left over from the thermonuclear fusion of hydrogen does not accumulate at the core, but is instead circulated throughout the star. Unlike the Sun, which will only burn through about 10 % of its total hydrogen supply before leaving the main sequence, Proxima Centauri will consume nearly all of its fuel before the fusion of hydrogen comes to an end. Convection is associated with the generation and persistence of a magnetic field. The magnetic energy from this field is released at the surface through stellar flares that briefly increase the overall luminosity of the star. These flares can grow as large as the star and reach temperatures measured as high as 27 million K -- hot enough to radiate X-rays. Proxima Centauri 's quiescent X-ray luminosity, approximately ( 4 -- 16 ) × 10 erg / s ( ( 4 -- 16 ) × 10 W ), is roughly equal to that of the much larger Sun. The peak X-ray luminosity of the largest flares can reach 10 erg / s ( 10 W ). Proxima Centauri 's chromosphere is active, and its spectrum displays a strong emission line of singly ionized magnesium at a wavelength of 280 nm. About 88 % of the surface of Proxima Centauri may be active, a percentage that is much higher than that of the Sun even at the peak of the solar cycle. Even during quiescent periods with few or no flares, this activity increases the corona temperature of Proxima Centauri to 3.5 million K, compared to the 2 million K of the Sun 's corona. Proxima Centauri 's overall activity level is considered low compared to other red dwarfs, which is consistent with the star 's estimated age of 4.85 × 10 years, since the activity level of a red dwarf is expected to steadily wane over billions of years as its stellar rotation rate decreases. The activity level also appears to vary with a period of roughly 442 days, which is shorter than the solar cycle of 11 years. Proxima Centauri has a relatively weak stellar wind, no more than 20 % of the mass loss rate of the solar wind. Because the star is much smaller than the Sun, the mass loss per unit surface area from Proxima Centauri may be eight times that from the solar surface. A red dwarf with the mass of Proxima Centauri will remain on the main sequence for about four trillion years. As the proportion of helium increases because of hydrogen fusion, the star will become smaller and hotter, gradually transforming from red to blue. Near the end of this period it will become significantly more luminous, reaching 2.5 % of the Sun 's luminosity ( L ) and warming up any orbiting bodies for a period of several billion years. When the hydrogen fuel is exhausted, Proxima Centauri will then evolve into a white dwarf ( without passing through the red giant phase ) and steadily lose any remaining heat energy. Distance and motion Based on a parallax of 6994372399932870668 ♠ 768.13 ± 1.04 mas, published in 2014 by the Research Consortium On Nearby Stars, Proxima Centauri is about 4.246 light - years ( 1.302 pc ; 268,500 AU ) from the Sun. Previously published parallaxes include 6994374436150331328 ♠ 772.33 ± 2.42 mas in the Hipparcos Catalogue ( 1997 ) and 6994372710213626578 ♠ 768.77 ± 0.37 mas using the Hubble Space Telescope 's Fine Guidance Sensors ( 1999 ). From Earth 's vantage point, Proxima is separated from Alpha Centauri by 2.18 degrees, or four times the angular diameter of the full Moon. Proxima also has a relatively large proper motion -- moving 3.85 arcseconds per year across the sky. It has a radial velocity toward the Sun of 22.2 km / s. Distances of the nearest stars from 20,000 years ago through 80,000 years in the future. Proxima Centauri is in yellow. Among the known stars, Proxima Centauri has been the closest star to the Sun for about 32,000 years and will be so for about another 25,000 years, after which Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B will alternate approximately every 79.91 years as the closest star to the Sun. In 2001, J. García - Sánchez et al. predicted that Proxima will make its closest approach to the Sun in approximately 26,700 years, coming within 3.11 ly ( 0.95 pc ). A 2010 study by V.V. Bobylev predicted a closest approach distance of 2.90 ly ( 0.89 pc ) in about 27,400 years, followed by a 2014 study by C.A.L. Bailer - Jones predicting a perihelion approach of 3.07 ly ( 0.94 pc ) in roughly 26,710 years. Proxima Centauri is orbiting through the Milky Way at a distance from the Galactic Centre that varies from 27 to 31 kly ( 8.3 to 9.5 kpc ), with an orbital eccentricity of 0.07. Orbital plot of Proxima Centauri as presently seen from Earth. Ever since the discovery of Proxima, it has been suspected to be a true companion of the Alpha Centauri binary star system. Data from the Hipparcos satellite, combined with ground - based observations, were consistent with the hypothesis that the three stars are a bound system. For this reason, Proxima is sometimes referred to as Alpha Centauri C. Kervella et al. ( 2017 ) used high - precision radial velocity measurements to determine with a high degree of confidence that Proxima and Alpha Centauri are gravitationally bound. Proxima 's orbital period around the Alpha Centauri AB barycenter is 7005547000000000000 ♠ 547 000 + 6600 − 4000 years with an eccentricity of 6999500000000000000 ♠ 0.5 ± 0.08 ; it approaches Alpha Centauri to 7014643270844010000 ♠ 4300 + 1100 − 900 AU at periastron and retreats to 7015194477231910000 ♠ 13 000 + 300 − 100 AU at apastron. At present, Proxima is 12,947 ± 260 AU ( 1.94 ± 0.04 trillion km ) from the Alpha Centauri AB barycenter, nearly to the farthest point in its orbit. Such a triple system can form naturally through a low - mass star being dynamically captured by a more massive binary of 1.5 -- 2 M within their embedded star cluster before the cluster disperses. However, more accurate measurements of the radial velocity are needed to confirm this hypothesis. If Proxima was bound to the Alpha Centauri system during its formation, the stars are likely to share the same elemental composition. The gravitational influence of Proxima might also have stirred up the Alpha Centauri protoplanetary disks. This would have increased the delivery of volatiles such as water to the dry inner regions, so possibly enriching any terrestrial planets in the system with this material. Alternatively, Proxima may have been captured at a later date during an encounter, resulting in a highly eccentric orbit that was then stabilized by the Galactic tide and additional stellar encounters. Such a scenario may mean that Proxima 's planetary companion has had a much lower chance for orbital disruption by Alpha Centauri. Six single stars, two binary star systems, and a triple star share a common motion through space with Proxima Centauri and the Alpha Centauri system. The space velocities of these stars are all within 10 km / s of Alpha Centauri 's peculiar motion. Thus, they may form a moving group of stars, which would indicate a common point of origin, such as in a star cluster. Though Proxima Centauri is the nearest bona fide star, it is still possible that one or more as - yet undetected sub-stellar brown dwarfs may lie closer. Planetary system The Proxima Centauri planetary system Companion ( in order from star ) Mass Semimajor axis ( AU ) Orbital period ( days ) Eccentricity Inclination Radius ≥ 7000127000000000000 ♠ 1.27 + 0.19 − 0.17 M 6998485000000000000 ♠ 0.0485 + 0.0041 − 0.0051 11.186 < 0.35 -- 0.8 -- 1.5 R The first indications of the exoplanet were found in 2013 by Mikko Tuomi of the University of Hertfordshire from archival observation data. To confirm the possible discovery, the European Southern Observatory launched the Pale Red Dot project in January 2016. On August 24, 2016, the team of 31 scientists from all around the world, led by Guillem Anglada - Escudé of Queen Mary University of London, confirmed the existence of Proxima Centauri b through a peer - reviewed article published by Nature. The measurements were performed using two spectrographs : HARPS on the ESO 3.6 m Telescope at La Silla Observatory and UVES on the 8 m Very Large Telescope at Paranal Observatory. Several attempts to detect a transit of this planet across the face of Proxima Centauri have been made. A transit - like signal appearing on September 8, 2016 was tentatively identified, using the Bright Star Survey Telescope at the Zhongshan Station in Antarctica. RV - derived upper mass limits of potential companions Orbital period ( days ) Separation ( AU ) Maximum mass ( M ) 3.6 -- 13.8 0.022 -- 0.054 2 -- 3 < 100 < 0.21 8.5 < 1000 < 1 16 Proxima Centauri b is a planet orbiting the star at a distance of roughly 0.05 AU ( 7.5 million km ) with an orbital period of approximately 11.2 Earth days. Its estimated mass is at least 1.3 times that of the Earth. Moreover, the equilibrium temperature of Proxima b is estimated to be within the range where water could exist as liquid on its surface ; thus, placing it within the habitable zone of Proxima Centauri. A second signal in the range of 60 to 500 days was also detected, but its nature is still unclear due to stellar activity. Prior to this discovery, multiple measurements of the star 's radial velocity constrained the maximum mass that a detectable companion to Proxima Centauri could possess. The activity level of the star adds noise to the radial velocity measurements, complicating detection of a companion using this method. In 1998, an examination of Proxima Centauri using the Faint Object Spectrograph on board the Hubble Space Telescope appeared to show evidence of a companion orbiting at a distance of about 0.5 AU. A subsequent search using the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 failed to locate any companions. Astrometric measurements at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory appear to rule out a Jovian companion with an orbital period of 2 − 12 years. Proxima Centauri, along with Alpha Centauri A and B, was among the `` Tier 1 '' target stars for NASA 's now - canceled Space Interferometry Mission ( SIM ), which would theoretically have been able to detect planets as small as three Earth masses ( M ) within two AU of a `` Tier 1 '' target star. In 2017, a team of astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter / submillimeter Array reported detecting a belt of dust orbiting Proxima Centauri at a range of 1 − 4 AU from the star. This dust has a temperature of around 40 K and has a total estimated mass of 1 % of the planet Earth. They also tentatively detected two additional features : a cold belt with a temperature of 10 K orbiting around 30 AU and a compact emission source about 1.2 arcseconds from the star. However, upon further analysis, these emissions were determined to be the result of a large flare emitted by the star in March, 2017. The presence of dust is not needed to model the observations. Habitable zone See also : Habitability of red dwarf systems Pale Red Dot is an international search for an Earth - like exoplanet around the closest star Proxima Centauri. Prior to the discovery of Proxima Centauri b, the TV documentary Alien Worlds hypothesized that a life - sustaining planet could exist in orbit around Proxima Centauri or other red dwarfs. Such a planet would lie within the habitable zone of Proxima Centauri, about 0.023 -- 0.054 AU ( 3.4 -- 8.1 million km ) from the star, and would have an orbital period of 3.6 -- 14 days. A planet orbiting within this zone may experience tidal locking to the star. If the orbital eccentricity of this hypothetical planet is low, Proxima Centauri would move little in the planet 's sky, and most of the surface would experience either day or night perpetually. The presence of an atmosphere could serve to redistribute the energy from the star - lit side to the far side of the planet. Proxima Centauri 's flare outbursts could erode the atmosphere of any planet in its habitable zone, but the documentary 's scientists thought that this obstacle could be overcome. Gibor Basri of the University of California, Berkeley, mentioned that `` no one ( has ) found any showstoppers to habitability ''. For example, one concern was that the torrents of charged particles from the star 's flares could strip the atmosphere off any nearby planet. If the planet had a strong magnetic field, the field would deflect the particles from the atmosphere ; even the slow rotation of a tidally locked planet that spins once for every time it orbits its star would be enough to generate a magnetic field, as long as part of the planet 's interior remained molten. Other scientists, especially proponents of the rare - Earth hypothesis, disagree that red dwarfs can sustain life. Any exoplanet in this star 's habitable zone would likely be tidally locked, resulting in a relatively weak planetary magnetic moment, leading to strong atmospheric erosion by coronal mass ejections from Proxima Centauri. Interstellar travel The Sun as seen from the Alpha Centauri system, using Celestia. Because of the star 's proximity to Earth, Proxima Centauri has been proposed as a flyby destination for interstellar travel. Proxima currently moves toward Earth at a rate of 22.2 km / s. After 26,700 years, when it will come within 3.11 light - years, it will begin to move farther away. If non-nuclear, conventional propulsion technologies are used, the flight of a spacecraft to a planet orbiting Proxima Centauri would probably require thousands of years. For example, Voyager 1, which is now travelling 17 km / s ( 38,000 mph ) relative to the Sun, would reach Proxima in 73,775 years, were the spacecraft travelling in the direction of that star. A slow - moving probe would have only several tens of thousands of years to catch Proxima Centauri near its closest approach, and could end up watching it recede into the distance. Nuclear pulse propulsion might enable such interstellar travel with a trip timescale of a century, inspiring several studies such as Project Orion, Project Daedalus, and Project Longshot. Project Breakthrough Starshot aims to reach the Alpha Centauri system within the first half of the 21st century, with microprobes travelling at twenty percent of the speed of light propelled by around 100 gigawatts of Earth - based lasers. The probes will perform a fly - by of Proxima Centauri to take photos and collect data of its planet 's atmospheric composition. It will take 4.22 years for the information collected to be sent back to Earth. From Proxima Centauri, the Sun would appear as a bright 0.4 - magnitude star in the constellation Cassiopeia. See also Star portal Proxima Centauri in fiction References Explanatory Notes Jump up ^ From knowing the absolute visual magnitude of Proxima Centauri, M V ∗ = 15.6 ( displaystyle scriptstyle M_ ( V_ ( ast ) ) = 15.6 ), and the absolute visual magnitude of the Sun, M V ⊙ = 4.83 ( displaystyle scriptstyle M_ ( V_ ( odot ) ) = 4.83 ), the visual luminosity of Proxima Centauri can therefore be calculated : L V ∗ L V ⊙ = 10 0.4 ( M V ⊙ − M V ∗ ) ( displaystyle scriptstyle ( \frac ( L_ ( V_ ( ast ) ) ) ( L_ ( V_ ( odot ) ) ) ) = 10 ^ ( 0.4 left ( M_ ( V_ ( odot ) ) - M_ ( V_ ( ast ) ) \right ) ) ) = 4.92 × 10 Jump up ^ The right ascension ( RA ) of Proxima is smaller than that of Alpha Centauri and the declination ( DEC ) is more negative. ^ Jump up to : The density ( ρ ) is given by the mass divided by the volume. Relative to the Sun, therefore, the density is : ρ ( displaystyle \rho ) = M M ⊙ ⋅ ( R R ⊙ ) − 3 ⋅ ρ ⊙ ( displaystyle ( \begin ( smallmatrix ) ( \frac ( M ) ( M_ ( odot ) ) ) cdot left ( ( \frac ( R ) ( R_ ( odot ) ) ) \right ) ^ ( - 3 ) cdot \rho _ ( odot ) end ( smallmatrix ) ) ) = 0.122 0.154 ( 1.41 × 10 kg / m ) = 33.4 ( 1.41 × 10 kg / m ) = 4.71 × 10 kg / m where ρ ⊙ ( displaystyle ( \begin ( smallmatrix ) \rho _ ( odot ) end ( smallmatrix ) ) ) is the average solar density. See : Munsell, Kirk ; Smith, Harman ; Davis, Phil ; Harvey, Samantha ( June 11, 2008 ). `` Sun : facts & figures ''. Solar system exploration. NASA. Archived from the original on January 2, 2008. Retrieved July 12, 2008. Bergman, Marcel W. ; Clark, T. Alan ; Wilson, William J.F. ( 2007 ). Observing projects using Starry Night Enthusiast ( 8th ed. ). Macmillan. pp. 220 -- 221. ISBN 1 - 4292 - 0074 - X. Jump up ^ For a star south of the zenith, the angle to the zenith is equal to the Latitude minus the Declination. The star is hidden from sight when the zenith angle is 90 ° or more, i.e. below the horizon. Thus, for Proxima Centauri : Highest latitude = 90 ° + − 62.68 ° = 27.32 °. See : Campbell, William Wallace ( 1899 ). The elements of practical astronomy. London : Macmillan. pp. 109 -- 110. Retrieved August 12, 2008. Jump up ^ Note that by the time Proxima gets to the 40,000 - year mark, the entire Alpha Centauri system will have moved to another part of the sky, so the perspective and background will be different. Jump up ^ Pale Red Dot is a reference to Pale Blue Dot, a distant photo of Earth taken by Voyager 1. Jump up ^ This is actually an upper limit on the quantity m sin i, where i is the angle between the orbit normal and the line of sight, in a circular orbit. If the planetary orbits are close to face - on as observed from Earth, or in an eccentric orbit, more massive planets could have evaded detection by the radial velocity method. Jump up ^ The coordinates of the Sun would be diametrically opposite Proxima, at α = 02 29 42.9487, δ = + 62 ° 40 ′ 46.141 ''. The absolute magnitude M of the Sun is 4.83, so at a parallax π of 0.77199 the apparent magnitude m is given by 4.83 − 5 ( log ( 0.77199 ) + 1 ) = 0.40. See : Tayler, Roger John ( 1994 ). The Stars : Their Structure and Evolution. Cambridge University Press. p. 16. ISBN 0 - 521 - 45885 - 4. Citations ^ Jump up to : Stevenson, Angus, ed. ( 2010 ), Oxford Dictionary of English, OUP Oxford, p. 1431, ISBN 0199571120. Jump up ^ Compare to the pronunciation for Centauri in the Alpha Centauri entry : Jones, Daniel ( 2011 ). Roach, Peter ; Setter, Jane ; Esling, John, eds. `` Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary ''. Cambridge University Press. p. 16. ISBN 0521152550. ^ Jump up to : Van Leeuwen, F. ( 2007 ). `` Validation of the new Hipparcos reduction ''. Astronomy and Astrophysics. 474 ( 2 ) : 653 -- 664. arXiv : 0708.1752. Bibcode : 2007A&A... 474... 653V. doi : 10.1051 / 0004 - 6361 : 20078357. ^ Jump up to : Jao, Wei - Chun ; Henry, Todd J. ; Subasavage, John P. ; Winters, Jennifer G. ; Gies, Douglas R. ; Riedel, Adric R. ; Ianna, Philip A. ( 2014 ). `` The Solar neighborhood. XXXI. Discovery of an unusual red + white dwarf binary at ~ 25 pc via astrometry and UV imaging ''. The Astronomical Journal. 147 ( 1 ) : 21. arXiv : 1310.4746. Bibcode : 2014AJ... 147... 21J. doi : 10.1088 / 0004 - 6256 / 147 / 1 / 21. ISSN 0004 - 6256. Jump up ^ Torres, C.A.O. ; Quast, G.R. ; Da Silva, L. ; De La Reza, R. ; Melo, C.H.F. ; Sterzik, M. ( December 2006 ). `` Search for associations containing young stars ( SACY ). I. Sample and searching method ''. Astronomy and Astrophysics. 460 ( 3 ) : 695 -- 708. arXiv : astro - ph / 0609258. Bibcode : 2006A&A... 460... 695T. doi : 10.1051 / 0004 - 6361 : 20065602. ^ Jump up to : Cutri, R.M. ; Skrutskie, M.F. ; Van Dyk, S. ; Beichman, C.A. ; Carpenter, J.M. ; Chester, T. ; Cambresy, L. ; Evans, T. ; Fowler, J. ; Gizis, J. ; Howard, E. ; Huchra, J. ; Jarrett, T. ; Kopan, E.L. ; Kirkpatrick, J.D. ; Light, R.M. ; Marsh, K.A. ; McCallon, H. ; Schneider, S. ; Stiening, R. ; Sykes, M. ; Weinberg, M. ; Wheaton, W.A. ; Wheelock, S. ; Zacarias, N. ( 2003 ). `` VizieR online data catalog : 2MASS all - sky catalog of point sources ( Cutri+ 2003 ) ''. VizieR on - line data catalog : II / 246. Originally published in : 2003yCat. 2246... 0C. 2246 : 0. Bibcode : 2003yCat. 2246... 0C. Jump up ^ Samus, N.N. ; Durlevich, O.V. ; et al. ( 2009 ). `` VizieR online data catalog : General catalogue of variable stars ( Samus+ 2007 -- 2013 ) ''. VizieR On - line Data Catalog : B / gcvs. Originally published in : 2009yCat... 102025S. 1. Bibcode : 2009yCat... 102025S. ^ Jump up to : Kervella, P. ; Thévenin, F. ; Lovis, C. ( 2017 ). `` Proxima 's orbit around α Centauri ''. Astronomy & Astrophysics. 598 : L7. arXiv : 1611.03495. Bibcode : 2017A&A... 598L... 7K. doi : 10.1051 / 0004 - 6361 / 201629930. ISSN 0004 - 6361. Separation : 3.1, left column of page 3 ; Orbital period and epoch of periastron : Table 3, right column of page 3. ^ Jump up to : Brown, A.G.A. ; et al. ( Gaia collaboration ) ( August 2018 ). `` Gaia Data Release 2 : Summary of the contents and survey properties ''. Astronomy & Astrophysics. 616. A1. arXiv : 1804.09365. Bibcode : 2018A&A... 616A... 1G. doi : 10.1051 / 0004 - 6361 / 201833051. ^ Jump up to : Benedict, G. Fritz, Chappell DW, Nelan E, Jefferys WH, Van Altena W, Lee J, Cornell D, Shelus PJ ( 1999 ). `` Interferometric astrometry of Proxima Centauri and Barnard 's Star using Hubble Space Telescope fine guidance sensor 3 : detection limits for substellar companions ''. The Astronomical Journal. 118 ( 2 ) : 1086 -- 1100. arXiv : astro - ph / 9905318. Bibcode : 1999AJ... 118.1086 B. doi : 10.1086 / 300975. ^ Jump up to : See Table 1, Doyle, J.G. ; Butler, C.J. ( 1990 ). `` Optical and infrared photometry of dwarf M and K stars ''. Astronomy and Astrophysics. 235 : 335 -- 339. Bibcode : 1990A&A... 235... 335D. and p. 57, Peebles, P.J.E. ( 1993 ). Principles of physical cosmology. Princeton, New Jersey : Princeton University Press. ISBN 0 - 691 - 01933 - 9. ^ Jump up to : Ségransan, D. ; Kervella, P. ; Forveille, T. ; Queloz, D. ( 2003 ), `` First radius measurements of very low mass stars with the VLTI '', Astronomy and Astrophysics, 397 ( 3 ) : L5 -- L8, arXiv : astro - ph / 0211647, Bibcode : 2003A&A... 397L... 5S, doi : 10.1051 / 0004 - 6361 : 20021714 Jump up ^ Schlaufman, K.C. ; Laughlin, G. ( September 2010 ), `` A physically - motivated photometric calibration of M dwarf metallicity '', Astronomy and Astrophysics, 519 : A105, arXiv : 1006.2850, Bibcode : 2010A&A... 519A. 105S, doi : 10.1051 / 0004 - 6361 / 201015016 ^ Jump up to : Collins, John M. ; Jones, Hugh R.A. ; Barnes, John R. ( June 2017 ). `` Calculations of periodicity from Hα profiles of Proxima Centauri ''. Astronomy & Astrophysics. 602. A48. arXiv : 1608.07834. Bibcode : 2017A&A... 602A... 48C. doi : 10.1051 / 0004 - 6361 / 201628827. See section 4 : `` the vsini is probably less than 0.1 km / s for Proxima Centauri ''. ^ Jump up to : Kervella, Pierre ; Thevenin, Frederic ( March 15, 2003 ). `` A family portrait of the Alpha Centauri system : VLT interferometer studies the nearest stars ''. ESO. Retrieved May 10, 2016. Jump up ^ `` SIMBAD query result : V * V645 Cen -- Flare Star ''. SIMBAD. Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved August 11, 2008. -- some of the data is located under `` Measurements ''. Jump up ^ Liewer, Paulett ( February 8, 2000 ). `` Our local galactic neighborhood ''. Interstellar Probe. NASA. Archived from the original on November 21, 2013. Retrieved March 22, 2013. Jump up ^ Glister, Paul ( September 1, 2010 ). `` Into the interstellar void ''. Centauri Dreams. Retrieved March 22, 2013. ^ Jump up to : Kirkpatrick JD, Davy J, Monet DG, Reid IN, Gizis JE, Liebert J, Burgasser AJ ( 1999 ). `` Brown dwarf companions to G - type stars. I : Gliese 417B and Gliese 584C ''. The Astronomical Journal. 121 ( 6 ) : 3235 -- 3253. arXiv : astro - ph / 0103218. Bibcode : 2001AJ... 121.3235 K. doi : 10.1086 / 321085. Jump up ^ Christian, D.J. ; Mathioudakis, M. ; Bloomfield, D.S. ; Dupuis, J. ; Keenan, F.P. ( 2004 ). `` A detailed study of opacity in the upper atmosphere of Proxima Centauri ''. The Astrophysical Journal. 612 ( 2 ) : 1140 -- 1146. Bibcode : 2004ApJ... 612.1140 C. doi : 10.1086 / 422803. ^ Jump up to : Wood, B.E. ; Linsky, J.L. ; Müller, H. - R. ; Zank, G.P. ( 2001 ). `` Observational estimates for the mass - loss rates of α Centauri and Proxima Centauri using Hubble Space Telescope Lyα spectra '' ( PDF ). The Astrophysical Journal. 547 ( 1 ) : L49 -- L52. arXiv : astro - ph / 0011153. Bibcode : 2001ApJ... 547L... 49W. doi : 10.1086 / 318888. Retrieved July 9, 2007. ^ Jump up to : Adams, Fred C. ; Laughlin, Gregory ; Graves, Genevieve J.M. Red dwarfs and the end of the main sequence ( PDF ). Gravitational collapse : from massive stars to planets. Revista Mexicana de Astronomía y Astrofísica. pp. 46 -- 49. Retrieved June 24, 2008. Jump up ^ Dunkley, J. ; Komatsu, E. ; Nolta, M.R. ; Spergel, D.N. ; Larson, D. ; Hinshaw, G. ; Page, L. ; Bennett, C.L. ; Gold, B. ( 2009 ). `` Five - year Wilkinson microwave anisotropy probe ( WMAP ) observations : data processing, sky maps, and basic results ''. The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. 180 ( 2 ) : 306 -- 329. arXiv : 0803.0586. Bibcode : 2009ApJS... 180... 306D. doi : 10.1088 / 0067 - 0049 / 180 / 2 / 306. ^ Jump up to : Anglada - Escudé, Guillem ; Amado, Pedro J. ; Barnes, John ; Berdiñas, Zaira M. ; Butler, R. Paul ; Coleman, Gavin A.L. ; de la Cueva, Ignacio ; Dreizler, Stefan ; Endl, Michael ; Giesers, Benjamin ; Jeffers, Sandra V. ; Jenkins, James S. ; Jones, Hugh R.A. ; Kiraga, Marcin ; Kürster, Martin ; López - González, Marίa J. ; Marvin, Christopher J. ; Morales, Nicolás ; Morin, Julien ; Nelson, Richard P. ; Ortiz, José L. ; Ofir, Aviv ; Paardekooper, Sijme - Jan ; Reiners, Ansgar ; Rodríguez, Eloy ; Rodrίguez - López, Cristina ; Sarmiento, Luis F. ; Strachan, John P. ; Tsapras, Yiannis ; Tuomi, Mikko ; Zechmeister, Mathias ( August 25, 2016 ), `` A terrestrial planet candidate in a temperate orbit around Proxima Centauri '' ( PDF ), Nature, 536 ( 7617 ) : 437 -- 440, arXiv : 1609.03449, Bibcode : 2016Natur. 536... 437A, doi : 10.1038 / nature19106, PMID 27558064, retrieved August 24, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Planet found in habitable zone around nearest star ''. European Southern Observatory. August 24, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Found ! Potentially Earth - like planet at Proxima Centauri is closest ever ''. Space.com. April 24, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Chang, Kenneth ( August 24, 2016 ). `` One star over, a planet that might be another Earth ''. New York Times. Retrieved August 24, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Knapton, Sarah ( August 24, 2016 ). `` Proxima b : Alien life could exist on ' second Earth ' found orbiting our nearest star in Alpha Centauri system ''. The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved August 24, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Tarter, Jill C., Mancinelli RL, Aurnou JM, Backman DE, Basri GS, Boss AP, Clarke A, Deming D ( 2007 ). `` A reappraisal of the habitability of planets around M dwarf stars ''. Astrobiology. 7 ( 1 ) : 30 -- 65. arXiv : astro - ph / 0609799. Bibcode : 2007AsBio... 7... 30T. doi : 10.1089 / ast. 2006.0124. PMID 17407403. ^ Jump up to : Khodachenko, Maxim L., Lammer H, Grießmeier J, Leitner M, Selsis F, Eiroa C, Hanslmeier A, Biernat HK ( 2007 ). `` Coronal Mass Ejection ( CME ) activity of low mass M stars as an important factor for the habitability of terrestrial exoplanets. I. CME impact on expected magnetospheres of earth - like exoplanets in close - in habitable zones ''. Astrobiology. 7 ( 1 ) : 167 -- 184. Bibcode : 2007AsBio... 7... 167K. doi : 10.1089 / ast. 2006.0127. PMID 17407406. ^ Jump up to : Kürster, M. ; Hatzes, A.P. ; Cochran, W.D. ; Döbereiner, S. ; Dennerl, K. ; Endl, M. ( 1999 ). `` Precise radial velocities of Proxima Centauri. Strong constraints on a substellar companion ''. Astronomy & Astrophysics Letters. 344 : L5 -- L8. arXiv : astro - ph / 9903010. Bibcode : 1999A&A... 344L... 5K. ^ Jump up to : Schroeder, Daniel J. ; Golimowski, David A. ; Brukardt, Ryan A. ; Burrows, Christopher J. ; Caldwell, John J. ; Fastie, William G. ; Ford, Holland C. ; Hesman, Brigette ; Kletskin, Ilona ; Krist, John E. ; Royle, Patricia ; Zubrowski, Richard. A. ( 2000 ). `` A Search for Faint Companions to Nearby Stars Using the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 ''. The Astronomical Journal. 119 ( 2 ) : 906 -- 922. Bibcode : 2000AJ... 119... 906S. doi : 10.1086 / 301227. Jump up ^ Innes, R.T.A. ( October 1915 ). `` A Faint Star of Large Proper Motion ''. Circular of the Union Observatory Johannesburg. 30 : 235 -- 236. Bibcode : 1915CiUO... 30... 235I. This is the original Proxima Centauri discovery paper. ^ Jump up to : Glass, I.S. ( July 2007 ). `` The discovery of the nearest star ''. African Skies. 11 : 39. Bibcode : 2007AfrSk... 11... 39G. Jump up ^ Glass, I.S. ( 2008 ). Proxima, the nearest star ( other than the Sun ). Cape Town : Mons Mensa. Retrieved September 6, 2016. Jump up ^ Queloz, Didier ( November 29, 2002 ). `` How Small are Small Stars Really ? ''. European Southern Observatory. eso0232 ; PR 22 / 02. Retrieved January 29, 2018. ^ Jump up to : Alden, Harold L. ( 1928 ). `` Alpha and Proxima Centauri ''. Astronomical Journal. 39 ( 913 ) : 20 -- 23. Bibcode : 1928AJ... 39... 20A. doi : 10.1086 / 104871. Jump up ^ Innes, R.T.A. ( September 1917 ). `` Parallax of the Faint Proper Motion Star Near Alpha of Centaurus. 1900. R.A. 14 h 22m 55s. - 0s 6t. Dec - 62 ° 15'2 0'8 t ''. Circular of the Union Observatory Johannesburg. 40 : 331 -- 336. Bibcode : 1917CiUO... 40... 331I. Jump up ^ Voûte, J. ( 1917 ). `` A 13th magnitude star in Centaurus with the same parallax as α Centauri ''. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 77 ( 9 ) : 650 -- 651. Bibcode : 1917MNRAS... 77... 650V. doi : 10.1093 / mnras / 77.9. 650. Jump up ^ Clavin, Whitney ; Harrington, J.D. ( April 25, 2014 ). `` NASA 's Spitzer and WISE telescopes find close, cold neighbor of Sun ''. NASA. Archived from the original on April 26, 2014. Retrieved April 25, 2014. Jump up ^ Shapley, Harlow ( 1951 ). `` Proxima Centauri as a flare star ''. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 37 ( 1 ) : 15 -- 18. Bibcode : 1951PNAS... 37... 15S. doi : 10.1073 / pnas. 37.1. 15. PMC 1063292. PMID 16588985. Jump up ^ Kroupa, Pavel ; Burman, R.R. ; Blair, D.G. ( 1989 ). `` Photometric observations of flares on Proxima Centauri ''. PASA. 8 ( 2 ) : 119 -- 122. Bibcode : 1989PASAu... 8... 119K. Jump up ^ Haisch, Bernhard ; Antunes, A. ; Schmitt, J.H.M.M. ( 1995 ). `` Solar - like M - class X-ray flares on Proxima Centauri observed by the ASCA satellite ''. Science. 268 ( 5215 ) : 1327 -- 1329. Bibcode : 1995Sci... 268.1327 H. doi : 10.1126 / science. 268.5215. 1327. PMID 17778978. ^ Jump up to : Guedel, M. ; Audard, M. ; Reale, F. ; Skinner, S.L. ; Linsky, J.L. ( 2004 ). `` Flares from small to large : X-ray spectroscopy of Proxima Centauri with XMM - Newton ''. Astronomy and Astrophysics. 416 ( 2 ) : 713 -- 732. arXiv : astro - ph / 0312297. Bibcode : 2004A&A... 416... 713G. doi : 10.1051 / 0004 - 6361 : 20031471. Jump up ^ IAU Working Group on Star Names ( WGSN ), International Astronomical Union, retrieved May 22, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Naming Stars ''. IAU.org. Retrieved 3 March 2018. Jump up ^ `` Proxima Centauri UV flux distribution ''. ESA / Laboratory for Space Astrophysics and Theoretical Physics. Retrieved July 11, 2007. Jump up ^ Kaler, Jim. `` Rigil Kentaurus ''. University of Illinois. Retrieved August 3, 2008. Jump up ^ Sherrod, P. Clay ; Koed, Thomas L. ( 2003 ). A complete manual of amateur astronomy : tools and techniques for astronomical observations. Courier Dover Publications. ISBN 0 - 486 - 42820 - 6. Jump up ^ Kamper, K.W. ; Wesselink, A.J. ( 1978 ). `` Alpha and Proxima Centauri ''. Astronomical Journal. 83 : 1653 -- 1659. Bibcode : 1978AJ... 83.1653 K. doi : 10.1086 / 112378. Jump up ^ Binney, James ; Scott Tremaine ( 1987 ). Galactic dynamics. Princeton, New Jersey : Princeton University Press. p. 8. ISBN 0 - 691 - 08445 - 9. Jump up ^ Leggett, S.K. ( 1992 ). `` Infrared colors of low - mass stars ''. Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. 82 ( 1 ) : 351 -- 394, 357. Bibcode : 1992ApJS... 82... 351L. doi : 10.1086 / 191720. Jump up ^ `` Proxima Centauri Might Be More Sunlike Than We Thought ''. Smithsonian Insider. October 12, 2016. Retrieved November 2, 2016. Jump up ^ Queloz, Didier ( November 29, 2002 ). `` How Small are Small Stars Really ? ''. European Southern Observatory. Retrieved September 5, 2016. Jump up ^ Zombeck, Martin V. ( 2007 ). Handbook of space astronomy and astrophysics ( Third ed. ). Cambridge, UK : Cambridge University Press. p. 109. ISBN 0 - 521 - 78242 - 2. Jump up ^ Benedict, G.F., McArthur, B., Nelan E, Story D, Whipple AL, Shelus PJ, Jefferys WH, Hemenway PD, Franz OG ( 1998 ). `` Photometry of Proxima Centauri and Barnard 's Star using Hubble Space Telescope fine guidance sensor 3 : a search for periodic variations ''. The Astronomical Journal. 116 ( 1 ) : 429 -- 439. arXiv : astro - ph / 9806276. Bibcode : 1998AJ... 116... 429B. doi : 10.1086 / 300420. Jump up ^ Suárez Mascareño, A. ; Rebolo, R. ; González Hernández, J.I. ; Esposito, M. ( September 2015 ). `` Rotation periods of late - type dwarf stars from time series high - resolution spectroscopy of chromospheric indicators ''. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 452 ( 3 ) : 2745 -- 2756. arXiv : 1506.08039. Bibcode : 2015MNRAS. 452.2745 S. doi : 10.1093 / mnras / stv1441. Jump up ^ Staff ( August 30, 2006 ). `` Proxima Centauri : the nearest star to the Sun ''. Harvard - Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Retrieved July 9, 2007. Jump up ^ E.F., Guinan ; Morgan, N.D. ( 1996 ). `` Proxima Centauri : rotation, chromospheric activity, and flares ''. Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society. 28 : 942. Bibcode : 1996AAS... 188.7105 G. Jump up ^ Wargelin, Bradford J. ; Drake, Jeremy J. ( 2002 ). `` Stringent X-ray constraints on mass loss from Proxima Centauri ''. The Astrophysical Journal. 578 ( 1 ) : 503 -- 514. Bibcode : 2002ApJ... 578... 503W. doi : 10.1086 / 342270. Jump up ^ Stauffer, J.R. ; Hartmann, L.W. ( 1986 ). `` Chromospheric activity, kinematics, and metallicities of nearby M dwarfs ''. Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. 61 ( 2 ) : 531 -- 568. Bibcode : 1986ApJS... 61... 531S. doi : 10.1086 / 191123. Jump up ^ Cincunegui, C. ; Díaz, R.F. ; Mauas, P.J.D. ( 2007 ). `` A possible activity cycle in Proxima Centauri ''. Astronomy and Astrophysics. 461 ( 3 ) : 1107 -- 1113. arXiv : astro - ph / 0703514. Bibcode : 2007A&A... 461.1107 C. doi : 10.1051 / 0004 - 6361 : 20066027. Jump up ^ Wood, B.E. ; Linsky, J.L. ; Muller, H. - R. ; Zank, G.P. ( 2000 ). `` Observational estimates for the mass - loss rates of Alpha Centauri and Proxima Centauri using Hubble Space Telescope Lyman - alpha spectra ''. Astrophysical Journal. 537 ( 2 ) : L49 -- L52. arXiv : astro - ph / 0011153. Bibcode : 2000ApJ... 537... 304W. doi : 10.1086 / 309026. Jump up ^ Perryman, M.A.C. ; Lindegren, L. ; Kovalevsky, J. ; Hoeg, E. ; Bastian, U. ; Bernacca, P.L. ; Crézé, M. ; Donati, F. ; Grenon, M. ; Grewing, M. ; van Leeuwen, F. ; van der Marel, H. ; Mignard, F. ; Murray, C.A. ; Le Poole, R.S. ; Schrijver, H. ; Turon, C. ; Arenou, F. ; Froeschlé, M. ; Petersen, C.S. ( July 1997 ), `` The Hipparcos catalogue '', Astronomy and Astrophysics, 323 : L49 -- L52, Bibcode : 1997A&A... 323L... 49P. Jump up ^ Williams, D.R. ( February 10, 2006 ). `` Moon fact sheet ''. NASA. Retrieved October 12, 2007. Jump up ^ Benedict, G.F. ; Mcarthur, B. ; Nelan, E. ; Story, D. ; Jefferys, W.H. ; Wang, Q. ; Shelus, P.J. ; Hemenway, P.D. ; Mccartney, J. ; Van Altena, Wm. F. ; Duncombe, R. ; Franz, O.G. ; Fredrick, L.W. Astrometric stability and precision of fine guidance sensor # 3 : the parallax and proper motion of Proxima Centauri ( PDF ). Proceedings of the HST calibration workshop. pp. 380 -- 384. Retrieved July 11, 2007. ^ Jump up to : García - Sánchez, J. ; Weissman, P.R. ; Preston, R.A. ; Jones, D.L. ; Lestrade, J. - F. ; Latham, D.W. ; Stefanik, R.P. ; Paredes, J.M. ( 2001 ). `` Stellar encounters with the solar system '' ( PDF ). Astronomy and Astrophysics. 379 ( 2 ) : 634 -- 659. Bibcode : 2001A&A... 379... 634G. doi : 10.1051 / 0004 - 6361 : 20011330. Jump up ^ Bobylev, V.V. ( March 2010 ). `` Searching for stars closely encountering with the solar system ''. Astronomy Letters. 36 ( 3 ) : 220 -- 226. arXiv : 1003.2160. Bibcode : 2010AstL... 36... 220B. doi : 10.1134 / S1063773710030060. Jump up ^ Bailer - Jones, C.A.L. ( March 2015 ). `` Close encounters of the stellar kind ''. Astronomy & Astrophysics. 575 : 13. arXiv : 1412.3648. Bibcode : 2015A&A... 575A... 35B. doi : 10.1051 / 0004 - 6361 / 201425221. A35. Jump up ^ Allen, C. ; Herrera, M.A. ( 1998 ). `` The galactic orbits of nearby UV Ceti stars ''. Revista Mexicana de Astronomia y Astrofisica. 34 : 37 -- 46. Bibcode : 1998RMxAA... 34... 37A. Jump up ^ Grimley, Peter ( December 22, 2016 ). `` Orbit of Proxima Centauri Determined After 100 Years ''. European Southern Observatory. Retrieved December 26, 2016. Jump up ^ Kroupa, Pavel ( 1995 ). `` The dynamical properties of stellar systems in the Galactic disc ''. MNRAS. 277 ( 4 ) : 1507 -- 1521. arXiv : astro - ph / 9508084. Bibcode : 1995MNRAS. 277.1507 K. doi : 10.1093 / mnras / 277.4. 1507. ^ Jump up to : Wertheimer, Jeremy G. ; Laughlin, Gregory ( 2006 ). `` Are Proxima and α Centauri gravitationally bound ? ''. The Astronomical Journal. 132 ( 5 ) : 1995 -- 1997. arXiv : astro - ph / 0607401. Bibcode : 2006AJ... 132.1995 W. doi : 10.1086 / 507771. Jump up ^ Feng, F. ; Jones, H.R.A. ( January 2018 ), `` Was Proxima captured by Alpha Centauri A and B ? '', Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 473 ( 3 ) : 3185 − 3189, arXiv : 1709.03560, Bibcode : 2018MNRAS. 473.3185 F, doi : 10.1093 / mnras / stx2576. Jump up ^ Johnston, Kathryn V. ; Hernquist, Lars ; Bolte, Michael ( 1995 ). `` Fossil signatures of ancient accretion events in the halo ''. The Astrophysical Journal. 465 : 278. arXiv : astro - ph / 9602060. Bibcode : 1996ApJ... 465... 278J. doi : 10.1086 / 177418. Jump up ^ Matson, John ( December 9, 2009 ). `` WISE satellite set to map the infrared universe ''. Scientific American. Retrieved December 10, 2009. Jump up ^ Li, Yiting ; et al. ( December 14, 2017 ). `` A Candidate Transit Event around Proxima Centauri ''. Research Notes of the AAS. 1 ( 1 ). 49. arXiv : 1712.04483. Bibcode : 2017RNAAS... 1a... 49L. doi : 10.3847 / 2515 - 5172 / aaa0d5. Jump up ^ Bixel, A. ; Apai, D. ( February 21, 2017 ). `` Probabilistic Constraints on the Mass and Composition of Proxima b ''. The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 836 : L31. Bibcode : 2017ApJ... 836L... 31W. doi : 10.3847 / 2041 - 8213 / aa5f51. ISSN 2041 - 8205. Jump up ^ `` Proxima b is our neighbor... better get used to it ! ''. Pale Red Dot. August 24, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2016. Jump up ^ Aron, Jacob. August 24, 2016. Proxima b : Closest Earth - like planet discovered right next door. New Scientist. Retrieved August 24, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Follow a Live Planet Hunt ! ''. European Southern Observatory. January 15, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2016. Jump up ^ Feltman, Rachel ( August 24, 2016 ). `` Scientists say they 've found a planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, our closest neighbor ''. The Washington Post -- via GALE. Jump up ^ Mathewson, Samantha ( August 24, 2016 ). `` Proxima b By the Numbers : Possibly Earth - Like World at the Next Star Over ''. Space.com. Retrieved August 25, 2016. Jump up ^ Witze, Alexandra ( August 24, 2016 ). `` Earth - sized planet around nearby star is astronomy dream come true ''. Nature. pp. 381 -- 382. Bibcode : 2016Natur. 536... 381W. doi : 10.1038 / nature. 2016.20445. Retrieved August 24, 2016. Jump up ^ Liu, Hui - Gen ; et al. ( January 2018 ), `` Searching for the Transit of the Earth - mass Exoplanet Proxima Centauri b in Antarctica : Preliminary Result '', The Astronomical Journal, 155 ( 1 ) : 10, arXiv : 1711.07018, Bibcode : 2018AJ... 155... 12L, doi : 10.3847 / 1538 - 3881 / aa9b86, 12. Jump up ^ Endl, M. & Kürster, M. ( 2008 ). `` Toward detection of terrestrial planets in the habitable zone of our closest neighbor : Proxima Centauri ''. Astronomy and Astrophysics. 488 ( 3 ) : 1149 -- 1153. arXiv : 0807.1452. Bibcode : 2008A&A... 488.1149 E. doi : 10.1051 / 0004 - 6361 : 200810058. Jump up ^ Saar, Steven H. ; Donahue, Robert A. ( 1997 ). `` Activity - related Radial Velocity Variation in Cool Stars ''. Astrophysical Journal. 485 ( 1 ) : 319 -- 326. Bibcode : 1997ApJ... 485... 319S. doi : 10.1086 / 304392. Jump up ^ Schultz, A.B. ; Hart, H.M. ; Hershey, J.L. ; Hamilton, F.C. ; Kochte, M. ; Bruhweiler, F.C. ; Benedict, G.F. ; Caldwell, John ; Cunningham, C. ; Wu, Nailong ; Franz, O.G. ; Keyes, C.D. ; Brandt, J.C. ( 1998 ). `` A possible companion to Proxima Centauri ''. Astronomical Journal. 115 ( 1 ) : 345 -- 350. Bibcode : 1998AJ... 115... 345S. doi : 10.1086 / 300176. Jump up ^ Lurie, John C. ; Henry, Todd J. ; Jao, Wei - Chun ; Quinn, Samuel N. ; Winters, Jennifer G. ; Ianna, Philip A. ; Koerner, David W. ; Riedel, Adric R. ; Subasavage, John P. ( November 2014 ). `` The Solar Neighborhood. XXXIV. a Search for Planets Orbiting Nearby M Dwarfs Using Astrometry ''. The Astronomical Journal. 148 ( 5 ) : 12. arXiv : 1407.4820. Bibcode : 2014AJ... 148... 91L. doi : 10.1088 / 0004 - 6256 / 148 / 5 / 91. 91. Jump up ^ Watanabe, Susan ( October 18, 2006 ). `` Planet - Finding by Numbers ''. NASA JPL. Retrieved July 9, 2007. Jump up ^ Anglada, Guillem ; Amado, Pedro J ; Ortiz, Jose L ; Gómez, José F ; Macías, Enrique ; Alberdi, Antxon ; Osorio, Mayra ; Gómez, José L ; Itziar de Gregorio - Monsalvo ; Pérez - Torres, Miguel A ; Anglada - Escudé, Guillem ; Berdiñas, Zaira M ; Jenkins, James S ; Jimenez - Serra, Izaskun ; Lara, Luisa M ; López - González, Maria J ; López - Puertas, Manuel ; Morales, Nicolas ; Ribas, Ignasi ; Richards, Anita M. S ; Rodríguez - López, Cristina ; Rodriguez, Eloy ( 2017 ). `` ALMA Discovery of Dust Belts Around Proxima Centauri ''. arXiv : 1711.00578 ( astro - ph. EP ). Jump up ^ `` Proxima Centauri 's no good, very bad day ''. Science Daily. February 26, 2018. Retrieved 2018 - 03 - 01. Jump up ^ MacGregor, Meredith A. ; et al. ( 2018 ). `` Detection of a Millimeter Flare From Proxima Centauri ''. Astrophysical Journal Letters. arXiv : 1802.08257. Bibcode : 2018ApJ... 855L... 2M. doi : 10.3847 / 2041 - 8213 / aaad6b. Jump up ^ Sandu, Oana ; Hook, Richard ( January 15, 2016 ). `` Follow a live planet hunt ! ''. European Southern Observatory. Retrieved January 18, 2016. Jump up ^ Endl, M. ; Kuerster, M. ; Rouesnel, F. ; Els, S. ; Hatzes, A.P. ; Cochran, W.D. ( June 18 -- 21, 2002 ). Deming, Drake, ed. Extrasolar terrestrial planets : can we detect them already ?. Conference Proceedings, Scientific Frontiers in Research on Extrasolar Planets. Washington, DC. pp. 75 -- 79. arXiv : astro - ph / 0208462. Bibcode : 2003ASPC... 294... 75E. Jump up ^ Alpert, Mark ( November 2005 ). `` Red star rising ''. Scientific American. Retrieved May 19, 2008. Jump up ^ Ward, Peter D. ; Brownlee, Donald ( 2000 ). Rare Earth : why complex life is uncommon in the universe. Springer Publishing. ISBN 0 - 387 - 98701 - 0. Jump up ^ Gilster, Paul ( 2004 ). Centauri dreams : imagining and planning. Springer. ISBN 0 - 387 - 00436 - X. Jump up ^ Crawford, I.A. ( September 1990 ). `` Interstellar Travel : A Review for Astronomers ''. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society. 31 : 377 -- 400. Bibcode : 1990QJRAS... 31... 377C. Jump up ^ `` Spacecraft escaping the Solar System '', Heavens Above, retrieved December 25, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Beals, K.A. ; Beaulieu, M. ; Dembia, F.J. ; Kerstiens, J. ; Kramer, D.L. ; West, J.R. ; Zito, J.A. ( 1988 ). `` Project Longshot, an Unmanned Probe to Alpha Centauri '' ( PDF ). NASA - CR - 184718. U.S. Naval Academy. Retrieved June 13, 2008. Jump up ^ Merali, Zeeya ( May 27, 2016 ). `` Shooting for a star ''. Science. 352 ( 6289 ) : 1040 -- 1041. doi : 10.1126 / science. 352.6289. 1040. Jump up ^ Popkin, Gabriel ( February 2, 2017 ). `` What it would take to reach the stars ''. Nature. 542 ( 7639 ) : 20 -- 22. Bibcode : 2017Natur. 542... 20P. doi : 10.1038 / 542020a. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Proxima Centauri. Nemiroff, R. ; Bonnell, J., eds. ( July 15, 2002 ). `` Proxima Centauri : the closest star ''. Astronomy Picture of the Day. NASA. Retrieved June 25, 2008. `` Proxima Centauri : the nearest star to the Sun ''. Chandra X-ray Observatory. Astronomy Picture of the Day. July 1, 2008. Retrieved July 1, 2008. James, Andrew ( March 11, 2008 ). `` A voyage to Alpha Centauri ''. The imperial star -- Alpha Centauri. Southern Astronomical Delights. Retrieved August 5, 2008. `` Alpha Centauri 3 ''. SolStation. Retrieved August 5, 2008. `` O Sistema Alpha Centauri ''. Astronomia & Astrofísica ( in Portuguese ). Retrieved June 25, 2008. `` Wikisky image of Proxima Centauri ''. Retrieved 2017 - 07 - 01. `` Proxima Centauri ''. Constellation guide. Retrieved August 25, 2016. The Alpha Centauri system Stars Alpha Centauri A Alpha Centauri B Proxima Centauri Planets Alpha Centauri Bb Alpha Centauri Bc Proxima Centauri b Proposed missions concepts 2069 Alpha Centauri mission AIMStar Breakthrough Starshot Project Longshot Starlight = This planet 's existence was disproven Celestial objects within 0 -- 5 light - years → Primary member type Celestial objects by systems. Secondary members are listed in small print. Main - sequence stars G - type Sun ( 0 ly ) rest of Solar System α Cen ( 4.366 ± 0.007 ly ) K - type main - sequence star B red dwarf C ( Proxima Centauri ) ( 4.2430 ± 0.0017 ly ) planet b Italic are systems without known trigonometric parallax. Centaurus constellation Stars ( list ) Bayer α ( Rigil Kentaurus ) β ( Hadar ) γ δ ε ζ η θ ( Menkent ) ι ( Alkhaim ) κ λ μ ν ξ ξ ο ο π ρ σ τ υ υ φ χ ψ Flamsteed 1 ( i ) 2 ( g ) 3 ( k ) 4 ( h ) Variable V Y RR SV SX BV DY V744 V761 ( a ) V763 ( C ) V766 V803 V810 V816 ( Przybylski 's Star ) V831 V842 V863 V945 ( H ) V1032 HR 4460 ( A ) 4466 ( C ) 4476 ( C ) 4499 4522 4523 4537 ( j ) 4546 ( B ) 4620 ( E ) 4652 ( D ) 4682 ( F ) 4712 ( x ) 4721 4724 ( x ) 4732 ( G ) 4748 ( u ) 4796 4817 ( l ) 4831 ( w ) 4874 ( p ) 4888 ( e ) 4889 ( n ) 4940 ( f ) 4979 4989 5006 ( r ) 5035 ( J ) 5041 ( m ) 5071 ( K ) 5089 ( d ) 5141 ( Q ) 5172 ( M ) 5174 ( z ) 5207 ( N ) 5222 ( y ) 5241 5297 5358 ( v ) 5371 5471 ( b ) 5485 ( c ) 5489 ( c ) HD 96660 97413 98176 101930 102117 103197 107914 109749 113538 113766 114386 114729 117207 117618 121504 125072 125595 131399 Other 2M1207 BPM 37093 Centaurus X-3 ( Krzeminski 's Star ) Nova Centauri 2013 Proxima Centauri Star clusters Open IC 2944 NGC 3766 NGC 5281 NGC 5316 NGC 5460 NGC 5617 NGC 5662 Stock 16 Globular NGC 5286 Omega Centauri Nebulae HII IC 2944 Planetary Fleming 1 NGC 3918 NGC 5307 Southern Crab Nebula SNR G292. 0 + 1.8 RCW 86 Galaxies NGC 3783 4444 4603 4622 4650A 4683 4696 4706 4709 4729 4730 4743 4744 4945 4976 5011 5011A 5026 5090 5091 5102 5114 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Proxima_Centauri&oldid=856766835 '' Categories : Alpha Centauri Astronomical objects discovered in 1915 Centaurus ( constellation ) Flare stars Gliese and GJ objects Hipparcos objects M - type main - sequence stars Objects with variable star designations Proxima Centauri Stars with proper names Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from January 2018 Use British English Oxford spelling from August 2016 Featured articles CS1 Portuguese - language sources ( pt ) Talk Contents About Wikipedia Aragonés Asturianu تۆرکجه বাংলা Беларуская Български Brezhoneg Català Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Frysk 한국어 हिन्दी Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Íslenska Italiano עברית Basa Jawa ಕನ್ನಡ ქართული Kiswahili Latviešu Lietuvių Lumbaart Magyar Македонски മലയാളം मराठी Bahasa Melayu မြန်မာဘာသာ Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Occitan Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча ਪੰਜਾਬੀ پنجابی Polski Português Română Русиньскый Русский Scots Sicilianu Simple English Slovenčina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Tagalog தமிழ் Татарча / tatarça తెలుగు ไทย Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt Volapük 中文 63 more Edit links This page was last edited on 27 August 2018, at 11 : 52 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: where is proxima centauri in the night sky
Answer: in the constellation of Centaurus