Proxima Centauri |
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Proxima Centauri (4.22 light years) is the nearest member of the Alpha Centauri triple star system. Proxima is the faint red dwarf star, (magnitude 11), over exposed in the center of the image. Discovered in 1913, it is only 1.5 times the diameter of Jupiter. If Proxima Centauri were placed at the distance of the Sun, which is 18000 times brighter, we would only just be able to see the small dull red disc. |