answersLogoWhite

0

Alpha Centauri, although it appears to the naked eye as a single star, is a binary pair. Together they are designated Alpha Centauri AB, the more massive and luminous in the pair designated Alpha Centauri A, the less massive and luminous Alpha Centauri B. Together, this pair is the third brightest "star" in the night sky. There is a third star probably interacting gravitationally with the pair, Proxima Centauri, also designated Alpha Centauri C, a red dwarf which is not visible to the naked eye but is the next closest star to our Sun.

Alpha Centauri B has about 90% of the mass of our Sun and is about 45% as bright.

Note that Alpha Centauri B is not the "second" star (second brightest) in the constellation Centaurus: that is Beta Centauri, which is itself a trinary star system.

User Avatar

Wiki User

10y ago

What else can I help you with?

Continue Learning about Movies & Television

What part of life is the star alpha centari in?

"Alpha Centauri", or "Toliman", is not a single star - it's a system of three stars.


How is the Alpha Centauri A similar to the sun?

Alpha Centauri - the star system in the constellation Centaurus, the nearest to the Sun. It consists of three components: a close binary system α Centauri A and α Centauri B and invisible to the naked eye, the red dwarf Proxima Centauri (the last star is usually treated separately.) Stars have their own names Rigel Kentavrus ("Centaur's foot"), Bungula ("hoof") and Tolimán, but they are used rarely. This system is located at a distance of 4, 4 light-years or 41,627,214,079,352 kilometers.


How far away is the Earth from Pandora?

In the film its set in the star system Alpha Centauri, so about 4.37 light years away.


Which star out of barnard's star procyon alpha centauri and rigel have the greatest luminosity?

Rigel by far.


What star is the closest to us in the milky way?

The Sun is "really" the closest star at 150,000,000 km (93,000,000 miles)Proxima Centauri is the closest star to us, at a distance of approximately 4.2 light years.(Proxima is Latin for "next to" or "nearest to")Alpha Centauri is the closest star system to us at a distance of approximately 4.3 light yearsThe Centauri system is a triple star system Centauri A and B have a mean separation of 11 AU's and are similar in size and temp to the Sun.Centauri C is a red dwarf it can not be seen with the unaided eye and was not discovered until 1918See related link for more information.

Related Questions

Virgo is the nearest star system to ours?

Alpha Centauri is the nearest star system. Its a binary star system of Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B. If someone asks you what is the nearest star ? then the answer will be "proxima centauri" in my opinion. nearest star: proxima centauri nearest star system: Alpha centauri A and B. Some people believe that its a triple star system of Prixma, Alpha A and Alpha B. centauri.


Which star is actually composed of 3 stars forming a triple star system?

Polaris (the North star - Alpha Ursae Minoris) is a triple star system, but appears to us as a single star. Alpha Centauri is also another triple star system. And there are many more.


What does the double star Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B form with Proxima Centauri?

Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B form a binary star system, while Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf star that is located further away from the binary system. Together, these three stars make up the Alpha Centauri system, which is the closest star system to the Sun.


Is alpha centauri the farthest star from the earth?

No; in fact, the Alpha Centauri system is the closest star system to Earth.The closest star to us is the Sun; the next-closest star is Proxima Centauri, part of the Alpha Centauri system.


One of its kind is Alpha centauri?

Alpha Centauri is the closest star system to Earth, located about 4.37 light-years away in the constellation of Centaurus. It consists of three stars: Alpha Centauri A, Alpha Centauri B, and Proxima Centauri. Proxima Centauri is the closest known star to the Sun.


Which star is bigger the alpha centauri or the sun?

Alpha Centauri is a binary star system with two stars ("A" and "B") nearly the same mass as the sun. Alpha Centuri A is 1.1 times the mass of the sun (bigger), while Alpha Centuri B is 0.9 times the mass of the sun (smaller).


What is the second closet star in the earh?

Alpha Centauri


What star system is Alpha Proxima from?

Alpha Proxima is a term used in the Star Trek universe as, apparently, an alternative name for Alpha Centauri, the nearest star to our Solar System. The term "Alpha Proxima" is not used outside literature. Astronomers refer to the two stars of the binary star system closest to our Solar System as Alpha Centauri and Proxima Centauri. (The link below to Wikipedia talks about the star system. The other link (Proxima Centauri) refers to references within Star Trek.) The Alpha Centauri System is a triple star system with Alpha Centauri AB being a double Star directly gravitationally bound to each other. Proxima Centauri is a much smaller star further away but it is assumed they are gravitationally associated with each other. Perhaps they are refering to this Star when using the term Alpha Proxima.


What is the third star from the sun?

The third closest star will be either Alpha Centauri A or Alpha Centauri B depending on the time of observation.


How many Satellites does Alpha Centauri have?

As of current knowledge, there are no known satellites orbiting Alpha Centauri, which is our closest neighboring star system. However, further exploration may potentially discover any satellites that might exist.


How many years pass before light from Alpha Centauri reaches earth?

Alpha Centauri is a triple star system. Alpha Centauri A, B & C or Proxima Centauri. Alpha Centauri A & B are 4.37 light years from the Earth whereas Alpha Centauri C is 4.243 light years.


What is the nearest star to the celestial equator?

The nearest star to the celestial equator is Alpha Centauri. It is actually a triple star system consisting of three stars: Alpha Centauri A, Alpha Centauri B, and Proxima Centauri. Proxima Centauri is the closest of the three to Earth.