CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -At only four light-years away, Proxima Centauri b is our closest known exoplanet neighbor. Proxima b is a super Earth exoplanet that orbits a M-type star.

Detailed explanation-2: -Proxima Centauri b is the only other exoplanet orbiting in the habitable zone of its red dwarf star. Astronomers of the Subaru Strategic Program have discovered a possible Super Earth at a distance of 37 light-years from Earth.

Detailed explanation-3: -Proxima Centauri is 4.2 light-years from Earth, a distance that would take about 6, 300 years to travel using current technology.

Detailed explanation-4: -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.

Detailed explanation-5: -The detection of a planet around Alpha Centauri in 2012 is considered questionable. Despite its proximity to Earth, Proxima Centauri is too faint to be visible to the naked eye with the exception of an instance where a flare made it visible to the naked eye.