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Keyword: rigilkentaurus

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  • Astronomy Picture of the Day - Alpha Centauri: The Closest Star System

    01/01/2025 12:23:34 PM PST · by MtnClimber · 17 replies
    NASA ^ | 1 Jan, 2025 | Image Credit & Copyright: Telescope Live, Heaven's Mirror Observatory; Processing: Chris Cantrell
    Explanation: The closest star system to the Sun is the Alpha Centauri system. Of the three stars in the system, the dimmest -- called Proxima Centauri -- is actually the nearest star. The bright stars Alpha Centauri A and B form a close binary as they are separated by only 23 times the Earth- Sun distance - slightly greater than the distance between Uranus and the Sun. The Alphasystem is not visible in much of the northern hemisphere. Alpha Centauri A, also known as Rigil Kentaurus, is the brightest star in the constellation of Centaurus and is the fourth brightest...