EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Proxima Centauri is the closest star to the Sun, lying just over four light-years away. The newly discovered planet, named Proxima d, orbits Proxima Centauri at a distance of about four million kilometres, less than a tenth of Mercury’s distance from the Sun.

Detailed explanation-2: -Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf star with a mass about 12.5% of the Sun’s mass ( M ☉), and average density about 33 times that of the Sun.

Detailed explanation-3: -Proxima Centauri (Alpha Centauri C) At 4.2 light-years from Earth, Proxima Centauri is the closest star to our planet other than the sun. Its name means “nearest to Centaurus” in Latin.

Detailed explanation-4: -The two main stars, Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B, are at an average of 4.3 light-years from Earth. Proxima Centauri is slightly closer at 4.25 light years.

Detailed explanation-5: -Alpha Centauri C, or Proxima Centauri, is a small faint red dwarf (Class M). Though not visible to the naked eye, Proxima Centauri is the closest star to the Sun at a distance of 4.24 ly (1.30 pc), slightly closer than Alpha Centauri AB.