| Become a member of Enchanted Learning. Site subscriptions last 12 months. Click here for more information on site membership. |
|||
| As a thank-you bonus, site members have access to a banner-ad-free version of the site, with print-friendly pages. | |||
| Zoom Astronomy The Stars |
| Lifecycle | Nuclear Fusion | Brightest Stars | Galaxies | Other Solar Systems | Constellations | Why Stars Twinkle | |
| Birth | Death | Star Types | Closest Stars | Nebulae | Major Stars | The Zodiac | Activities, Links |
| Star | Distance (in light-years) | Apparent Magnitude |
|---|---|---|
| Proxima Centauri (in Centaurus) | 4.2 | +11.0 |
| Alpha Centauri A and B (in Centaurus) | 4.3 | -0.3 |
| Barnard's Star (in Ophiuchus) | 6.0 | +9.5 |
| Wolf 359 (in Leo) | 7.7 | +13.5 |
| Lalande 21185 (in Ursa Major) | 8.1 | +7.5 |
| Sirius A | 8.6 | -1.46 |
| Sirius B (in Canis Major) | 8.6 | -xx |
| Luyten 726-8 | 8.4 | +12.5 |
| Luyten 726-8 | 8.4 | xx |
| UV Ceti (in Cetus) | 8.4 | xx |
| Ross 154 | 9.4 | +10.5 |
| Ross 248 | 10.4 | +12.3 |
| Luyten 789-6 (in ) | 8.4 | +12.5 |
| Epsilon Eridani (in Eridanus) | 10.8 | +3.7 |
| Ross 128 | 10.9 | +11.1 |
THE ALPHA CENTAURI SYSTEM
The Alpha Centauri system is in the star system that is closest to the Earth. The closest star to us is Proxima Centauri, also known as Alpha Centauri C (because it is the dimmest star in the Alpha Centauri system). Proxima Centauri is about 4.2 light-years from the Sun. It has an absolute magnitude of 15.5 and an apparent magnitude of +11.05 (variable). Its spectral type is M5.5Vc.
The stars Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B are close binary stars.
SIRIUS
Sirius (which means "scorching" in Greek), also known as the dog star, is the brightest star in the sky (except for the sun). It is in the constellation Canis Major (The Great Dog). Sirius is a main sequence star that is about 70 times more luminous than the sun. It is about 8.6 light-years from Earth. It has an apparent magnitude of -1.46 and an absolute magnitude of +1.4. Sirius has a companion star (called the Pup), which is a white dwarf.
|
Overview of Site What's New Enchanted Learning Home Monthly Activity Calendar Books to Print Site Index K-3 Crafts K-3 Themes Little Explorers Picture dictionary PreK/K Activities Rebus Rhymes Stories Writing Cloze Activities Essay Topics Newspaper Writing Activities Parts of Speech Fiction The Test of Time |
Biology Animal Printouts Biology Label Printouts Biomes Birds Butterflies Dinosaurs Food Chain Human Anatomy Mammals Plants Rainforests Sharks Whales Physical Sciences Astronomy The Earth Geology Hurricane Landforms Oceans Tsunami Volcano |
Languages Dutch French German Italian Japanese (Romaji) Portuguese Spanish Swedish Geography/History Explorers Flags Geography Inventors US History Other Topics Art and Artists Calendars Crafts Graphic Organizers Label Me! Printouts Math Music |
Click to read our Privacy Policy
|