Optimum Visibility May (Not visible to the naked eye)
Strictly an outlying member of the Alpha Centauri system, rather than an independent star,
Proxima is a faint and inoffensive reddwarf. It is remarkable, though, as the Sun's
nearest stellar neighbour, just 4.24 light years away. The relative motions of the two
stars mean that Proxima and the Sun are actually getting closer together at a rate
of about 16,000 m/s.
If humans ever travel beyond the Solar System, this will surely be one of the first sights they
experience - the faint red-orange glow of the Sun's nearest neighbour,
Proxima Centauri, against the backdrop of the Milky Way.
Though it is nearer to Earth than any other star,
Proxima Centauri is a tiny star that shines with a feeble
red light, and is quite invisble to the naked eye.
The Galactic position and direction of Proxima Centauri relative to Earth'sSun. Note that, at this
extreme scale, the two stars are effectively in the same place.
