Information on the 5 Nearest Stars
Proxima Centauri
Alpha Centauri A,B
Barnard's Star
Wolf 359
Sun
Type=G2, Magnitude=-26.8, Distance=0.0000158 ly
A typical yellow dwarf star. It has eight planets orbiting it.
Proxima Centauri
type=M5, Magnitude=11.0, Distance=4.22 ly
This dim red dwarf is the nearest star to the Sun, and it is a member of the Alpha Centauri system despite lying 0.24 light years from the main pair of stars, requiring over one million years to orbit them. Proxima was discovered in 1915 by Robert Innes and was at that time the least luminous star known. It is also a flare star - capable of brightening a magnitude or more in minutes.
Alpha Centauri A,B
Barnard's Star
Type=M5, Magnitude=9.6, Distance=5.94 lyFamous for having the largest proper motion of any star, this dim red dwarf travels 0.29 degrees against the background sky in a century. Discovered by E Barnard in 1916, it was thought in the 1960's to have a couple of unseen planets orbiting it, but later observations disproved this. In another 8000 years Barnard's Star will become the closest star to us.
Wolf 359
Type=M6, Magnitude=13.5, Distance=7.80 ly
An excessively dim red dwarf discovered by Max Wolf in 1918. For 25 years it was the least luminous star known.
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