Alpha Centauri
Product information
Description
Alpha Centauri appears as a brilliant yellow-white point in the southern night sky, often visible to the naked eye as a single star. Its brilliance, coupled with its proximity, makes it a fascinating object for both professional astronomers and amateur stargazers alike.
Additional Information
- Constellation
- Centaurus
- Spectral Type
- G2V + K1V
- Apparent Magnitude
- -0.27
- Distance (Light Years)
- 4.37
- Right Ascension
- 14h 39m 36.5s
- Declination
- −60° 50′ 02″
- Solar Masses
- 1.1
- Radius (Solar)
- 1.2
- Temperature (Kelvin)
- 5790
- Age (Million Years)
- 5500
Discovery
- Ancient Civilizations
- Greeks, Polynesians, Indigenous Australians
- Historical Significance
- Alpha Centauri has been known since ancient times, especially in the Southern Hemisphere. The name 'Rigil Kentaurus' derives from Arabic and Latin, meaning 'Foot of the Centaur.' It was an essential reference point in southern sky traditions.
Cultural Significance
- Mythology
- Alpha Centauri features in navigation stories of Polynesian voyagers and is tied to the Centaur myth in Western astronomy. Its position and brightness have made it a symbolic guide across many cultures south of the equator.
- Navigation
- Due to its southern sky prominence and proximity to the Southern Cross, Alpha Centauri has long served as a key celestial landmark for navigators in the Southern Hemisphere.
- Modern Reference
- Alpha Centauri is the closest stellar system to Earth and a top target for exoplanet research and interstellar exploration concepts, including the Breakthrough Starshot initiative. It frequently appears in science fiction as humanity’s first destination beyond our Solar System.
Notable Features
- Stellar Motion
- Alpha Centauri shows noticeable proper motion due to its proximity. Its stars orbit one another in a well-known binary configuration, with a third faint companion, Proxima Centauri, orbiting further out.
- Additional Fact
- This system includes **Proxima Centauri**, the closest known individual star to the Sun, which hosts at least one confirmed exoplanet (Proxima b) in the habitable zone.
User Dedications
- Dedications