Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to Earth after theSun, is located 4.25light-years (1.3parsecs) away in the southernconstellation ofCentaurus. Discovered in 1915 byRobert Innes, it is a small, low-massstar, too faint to be seen with thenaked eye, with anapparent magnitude of 11.13. Proxima Centauri is a member of theAlpha Centauristar system, being identified as componentAlpha Centauri C, and is 2.18° to the southwest of the Alpha Centauri AB pair. It is currently 12,950 AU (0.2 ly) from AB, which it orbits with aperiod of about 550,000 years. ItsLatin name means the 'nearest star of Centaurus'.
Proxima Centauri is ared dwarf star with a mass about 12.5% of the Sun's mass (M☉), and averagedensity about 33 times that of the Sun. Because of Proxima Centauri's proximity toEarth, itsangular diameter can be measured directly. Its actual diameter is about one-seventh (14%) the diameter of the Sun. Although it has a very low averageluminosity, Proxima Centauri is aflare star that randomly undergoes dramatic increases in brightness because ofmagnetic activity. The star'smagnetic field is created byconvection throughout the stellar body, and the resulting flare activity generates a totalX-ray emission similar to that produced by the Sun. The internal mixing of its fuel by convection through its core and Proxima's relatively low energy-production rate, mean that it will be amain-sequence star for another four trillion years.
Proxima Centauri has two knownexoplanets and one candidate exoplanet:Proxima Centauri b,Proxima Centauri d and the disputedProxima Centauri c.[nb 3] Proxima Centauri b orbits the star at a distance of roughly 0.05 AU (7.5 million km) with an orbital period of approximately 11.2 Earth days. Its estimated mass is at least 1.06 times that of Earth.[8] Proxima b orbits within Proxima Centauri'shabitable zone—the range where temperatures are right for liquid water to exist on its surface—but, because Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf and a flare star, the planet'shabitability is highly uncertain. Asub-Earth,Proxima Centauri d, roughly 0.028 AU (4.2 million km) away, orbits it every 5.1 days.[8] A candidatesub-Neptune,Proxima Centauri c, roughly 1.5 AU (220 million km) away from Proxima Centauri, orbits it every 1,900 d (5.2 yr).[16][17]
Relative sizes and colour of the Alpha Centauri A, B and C (Proxima) and otherlocal stars, incl. the Sun andJupiter for comparison (artist's impression)Threevisual bandlight curves for Proxima Centauri are shown, illustrating the variability of Proxima. Plot A shows a superflare which dramatically increased the star's brightness for a few minutes. Plot B shows the relative brightness variation over the course of the star's 83 day rotation period. Plot C shows variation over a 6.8 year period, which may be the length of the star's magnetic activity period. Adapted from Howardet al. (2018)[18] and Mascareñoet al. (2016)[19]
In 2002,optical interferometry with theVery Large Telescope (VLTI) found that theangular diameter of Proxima Centauri is1.02±0.08 mas. Because its distance is known, the actual diameter of Proxima Centauri can be calculated to be about 1/7 that of the Sun, or 1.5 times that ofJupiter. The star's mass, estimated from stellar theory, is 12.2% M☉, or 129Jupiter masses (MJ).[24] The mass has been calculated directly, although with less precision, from observations ofmicrolensing events to be0.150+0.062 −0.051M☉.[25]
Lower mass main-sequence stars have higher meandensity than higher mass ones,[26] and Proxima Centauri is no exception: it has a mean density of 47.1×103 kg/m3 (47.1 g/cm3), compared with the Sun's mean density of 1.411×103 kg/m3 (1.411 g/cm3).[nb 4] The measuredsurface gravity of Proxima Centauri, given as thebase-10 logarithm of theacceleration inunits of cgs, is 5.20.[9] This is 162 times thesurface gravity on Earth.[nb 5]
A 1998 study ofphotometric variations indicated that Proxima Centauri completes a full rotation once every 83.5 days.[27] A subsequenttime series analysis ofchromospheric indicators in 2002 suggested a longer rotation period of116.6±0.7 days.[28] Later observations of the star's magnetic field subsequently revealed that the star rotates with a period of89.8±4 days,[29] consistent with a measurement of92.1+4.2 −3.5 days from radial velocity observations;[30] the most recent estimate as of 2025 is83.2±1.6 days. It is thought to rotate at aninclination of47°±7° to the line of sight.[8]
Because of its low mass, the interior of the star is completelyconvective,[31] causing energy to be transferred to the exterior by the physical movement of plasma rather than throughradiative processes. This convection means that the helium ash left over from thethermonuclear fusion of hydrogen does not accumulate at the core but is instead circulated throughout the star. Unlike the Sun, which will only burn through about 10% of its total hydrogen supply before leaving the main sequence, Proxima Centauri will consume nearly all of its fuel before the fusion of hydrogen comes to an end.[32]
Convection is associated with the generation and persistence of amagnetic field. The magnetic energy from this field is released at the surface throughstellar flares that briefly (as short as per ten seconds)[33] increase the overall luminosity of the star. On May 6, 2019, a flare event bordering SolarM and X flare class,[34] briefly became the brightest ever detected, with a far ultraviolet emission of2×1030 erg.[33] These flares can grow as large as the star and reach temperatures measured as high as 27 millionK[35]—hot enough to radiateX-rays.[36] Proxima Centauri's quiescent X-ray luminosity, approximately (4–16) × 1026erg/s ((4–16) × 1019W), is roughly equal to that of the much larger Sun. The peak X-ray luminosity of the largest flares can reach 1028 erg/s (1021 W).[35]
Proxima Centauri'schromosphere is active, and itsspectrum displays a strongemission line of singly ionizedmagnesium at a wavelength of 280 nm.[37] About 88% of the surface of Proxima Centauri may be active, a percentage that is much higher than that of the Sun even at the peak of thesolar cycle. Even during quiescent periods with few or no flares, this activity increases thecorona temperature of Proxima Centauri to 3.5 million K, compared to the 2 million K of the Sun's corona,[38] and its total X-ray emission is comparable to the sun's.[39] Proxima Centauri's overall activity level is considered low compared to other red dwarfs,[39] which is consistent with the star's estimated age of 4.85 × 109 years,[14] since the activity level of a red dwarf is expected to steadily wane over billions of years as itsstellar rotation rate decreases.[40] The activity level appears to vary[41] with a period of roughly 442 days, which is shorter than the Sun's solar cycle of 11 years.[42]
Proxima Centauri has a relatively weakstellar wind, no more than 20% of the mass loss rate of thesolar wind. Because the star is much smaller than the Sun, the mass loss per unit surface area from Proxima Centauri may be eight times that from the Sun's surface.[43]
Alpha Centauri A and B are the bright apparent star to the left, which are in a triple star system with Proxima Centauri, circled in red. The bright star system to the right is the unrelatedBeta Centauri.
A red dwarf with the mass of Proxima Centauri will remain on the main sequence for about four trillion years. As the proportion of helium increases because of hydrogen fusion, the star will become smaller and hotter, gradually transforming into a so-called"blue dwarf". Near the end of this period it will become significantly more luminous, reaching 2.5% of the Sun's luminosity (L☉) and warming any orbiting bodies for a period of several billion years. When the hydrogen fuel is exhausted, Proxima Centauri will then evolve into a heliumwhite dwarf (without passing through thered giant phase) and steadily lose any remaining heat energy.[32][44]
TheAlpha Centauri system may have formed through a low-mass star being dynamically captured by a more massive binary of 1.5–2 M☉ within their embedded star cluster before the cluster dispersed.[45] However, more accurate measurements of the radial velocity are needed to confirm this hypothesis.[46] If Proxima Centauri was bound to the Alpha Centauri system during its formation, the stars are likely to share the sameelemental composition. The gravitational influence of Proxima might have disturbed the Alpha Centauriprotoplanetary disks. This would have increased the delivery ofvolatiles such as water to the dry inner regions, so possibly enriching anyterrestrial planets in the system with this material.[46]
Orbital plot of Proxima Centauri around the bright apparent star Alpha Centauri AB, with position change marked (in thousands of years).
Alternatively, Proxima Centauri may have been captured at a later date during an encounter, resulting in a highly eccentric orbit that was then stabilized by thegalactic tide and additional stellar encounters. Such a scenario may mean that Proxima Centauri's planetary companions have had a much lower chance for orbital disruption by Alpha Centauri.[12] As the members of the Alpha Centauri pair continue to evolve and lose mass, Proxima Centauri is predicted to become unbound from the system in around 3.5 billion years from the present. Thereafter, the star will steadily diverge from the pair.[47]
Proxima Centauri (unlabeled) next to Alpha Centauri on a radar map of all known stellar andsubstellar objects within 9 light years (ly), arranged clockwise inhours ofright ascension, and marked by distance (▬) and position (◆)
Based on a parallax of768.0665±0.0499 mas, published in 2020 inGaia Data Release 3, Proxima Centauri is 4.2465light-years (1.3020 pc; 268,550 AU) from the Sun.[2] Previously published parallaxes include:768.5±0.2 mas in 2018 by Gaia DR2,768.13±1.04 mas, in 2014 by theResearch Consortium On Nearby Stars;[48]772.33±2.42 mas, in the originalHipparcos Catalogue, in 1997;[49]771.64±2.60 mas in the Hipparcos New Reduction, in 2007;[50] and768.77±0.37 mas using theHubble Space Telescope'sfine guidance sensors, in 1999.[6] From Earth's vantage point, Proxima Centauri is separated from Alpha Centauri by 2.18 degrees,[51] or four times the angular diameter of the fullMoon.[52] Proxima Centauri has a relatively large proper motion—moving 3.85 arcseconds per year across the sky.[53] It has aradial velocity towards the Sun of 22.2 km/s.[5] From Proxima Centauri, the Sun would appear as a bright 0.4-magnitude star in the constellationCassiopeia, similar to that ofAchernar orProcyon fromEarth.[nb 6]
Among the known stars, Proxima Centauri has been the closest star to the Sun for about 32,000 years and will be so for about another 25,000 years, after which Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B will alternate approximately every 79.91 years as the closest star to the Sun. In 2001, J. García-Sánchezet al. predicted that Proxima Centauri will make its closest approach to the Sun in approximately 26,700 years, coming within 3.11 ly (0.95 pc).[54] A 2010 study by V. V. Bobylev predicted a closest approach distance of 2.90 ly (0.89 pc) in about 27,400 years,[55] followed by a 2014 study by C. A. L. Bailer-Jones predicting a perihelion approach of 3.07 ly (0.94 pc) in roughly 26,710 years.[56] Proxima Centauri is orbiting through theMilky Way at a distance from theGalactic Centre that varies from 27 to 31 kly (8.3 to 9.5 kpc), with anorbital eccentricity of 0.07.[57]
Proxima Centauri has been suspected to be a companion of the Alpha Centauribinary star system since its discovery in 1915. For this reason, it is sometimes referred to as Alpha Centauri C. Data from theHipparcos satellite, combined with ground-based observations, were consistent with the hypothesis that the three stars are agravitationally bound system. Kervella et al. (2017) used high-precision radial velocity measurements to determine with a high degree of confidence that Proxima and Alpha Centauri are gravitationally bound.[5] Proxima Centauri's orbital period around the Alpha Centauri ABbarycenter is547,000+6,600 −4,000 years with an eccentricity of0.5±0.08; it approaches Alpha Centauri to4,300+1,100 −900 AU atperiastron and retreats to13,000+300 −100 AU atapastron.[5] At present, Proxima Centauri is 12,947 ± 260 AU (1.94 ± 0.04 trillion km) from the Alpha Centauri AB barycenter, nearly to the furthest point in its orbit.[5]
Six single stars, two binary star systems, and a triple star share a common motion through space with Proxima Centauri and the Alpha Centauri system. (The co-moving stars includeHD 4391,γ2 Normae, andGliese 676.) Thespace velocities of these stars are all within 10 km/s of Alpha Centauri'speculiar motion. Thus, they may form amoving group of stars, which would indicate a common point of origin, such as in astar cluster.[58]
Schematic of the three planets (d, b, and c) of the Proxima Centauri system, with thehabitable zone identified
As of 2025, three planets (two confirmed and one candidate) have been detected in orbit around Proxima Centauri, with one being among the lightest ever detected by radial velocity ("d"), one close to Earth's size within thehabitable zone ("b"), and a possiblegas dwarf that orbits much further out than the inner two ("c"), although its status remains disputed.[8]
Searches for exoplanets around Proxima Centauri date to the late 1970s. In the 1990s, multiple measurements of Proxima Centauri's radial velocity constrained the maximum mass that a detectable companion could possess.[6][62]The activity level of the star adds noise to the radial velocity measurements, complicating detection of a companion using this method.[63]In 1998, an examination of Proxima Centauri using theFaint Object Spectrograph on board the Hubble Space Telescope appeared to show evidence of a companion orbiting at a distance of about 0.5 AU.[64]A subsequent search using theWide Field and Planetary Camera 2 failed to locate any companions.[65]Astrometric measurements at theCerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory appear to rule out aJupiter-sized planet with an orbital period of 2−12 years.[66]
In 2017, a team of astronomers using theAtacama Large Millimeter Array reported detecting a belt of cold dust orbiting Proxima Centauri at a range of 1−4 AU from the star. This dust has a temperature of around 40 K and has a total estimated mass of 1% of the planet Earth. They tentatively detected two additional features: a cold belt with a temperature of 10 K orbiting around 30 AU and a compact emission source about 1.2 arcseconds from the star. There was a hint at an additional warm dust belt at a distance of 0.4 AU from the star.[67] However, upon further analysis, these emissions were determined to be most likely the result of a large flare emitted by the star in March 2017. The presence of dust within 4 AU radius from the star is not needed to model the observations.[68][69]
As of 2025[update], radial velocity observations have ruled out the presence of any undetected planets with aminimum mass greater than0.15M🜨 with periods shorter than 10 days,0.3M🜨 in the habitable zone,0.6M🜨 up to 100 days,1M🜨 up to 1,000 days, and4M🜨 up to 10,000 days.[8]
Proxima Centauri b, or Alpha Centauri Cb, orbits the star at a distance of roughly 0.05 AU (7.5 million km) with an orbital period of approximately 11.2 Earth days. Its estimated mass is at least 1.07 times that of theEarth.[60] Moreover, the equilibrium temperature of Proxima Centauri b is estimated to be within the range where water could exist as liquid on its surface; thus, placing it within thehabitable zone of Proxima Centauri.[70][71][72]
In 2016, in a paper that helped to confirm Proxima Centauri b's existence, a second signal in the range of 60–500 days was detected. However, stellar activity and inadequate sampling causes its nature to remain unclear.[70]
Proxima Centauri c is a candidatesuper-Earth orgas dwarf about7M🜨 orbiting at roughly 1.5 astronomical units (220,000,000 km) every 1,900 days (5.2 yr).[80] If Proxima Centauri b were the star's Earth, Proxima Centauri c would be equivalent to Neptune. Due to its large distance from Proxima Centauri, it is unlikely to be habitable, with a low equilibrium temperature of around 39 K.[81] The planet was first reported by Italian astrophysicist Mario Damasso and his colleagues in April 2019.[81][80]Damasso's team had noticed minor movements of Proxima Centauri in theradial velocity data from the ESO's HARPS instrument, indicating a possible additional planet orbiting Proxima Centauri.[81] In 2020, the planet's existence was confirmed by Hubbleastrometry data fromc. 1995.[82]A possible direct imaging counterpart was detected in the infrared with theSPHERE, but the authors admit that they "did not obtain a clear detection." If their candidate source is in fact Proxima Centauri c, it is too bright for a planet of its mass and age, implying that the planet may have aring system with a radius of around5RJ.[83] However,Artigau et al. (2022) disputed the radial velocity confirmation of the planet.[30] As of 2025[update], evidence for Proxima c remains inconclusive; observations with theNIRPS spectrograph were unable to confirm it, but found hints of a lower-amplitude signal with a similar period.[8]
In 2019, a team of astronomers revisited the data fromESPRESSO about Proxima Centauri b to refine its mass. While doing so, the team found another radial velocity spike with a periodicity of 5.15 days. They estimated that if it were a planetary companion, it would be no less than 0.29 Earth masses.[84] Further analysis confirmed the signal's existence leading up to the announcement of the candidate planet in February 2022.[60] Proxima d was independently confirmed with theNIRPS spectrograph in work published in July 2025.[8]
Overview and comparison of the orbital distance of thehabitable zone
Before the discovery of Proxima Centauri b, the TV documentaryAlien Worlds hypothesized that a life-sustaining planet could exist in orbit around Proxima Centauri or other red dwarfs. Such a planet would lie within the habitable zone of Proxima Centauri, about 0.023–0.054 AU (3.4–8.1 million km) from the star, and would have an orbital period of 3.6–14 days.[85]A planet orbiting within this zone may experiencetidal locking to the star. If the orbital eccentricity of this hypothetical planet were low, Proxima Centauri would move little in the planet's sky, and most of the surface would experience either day or night perpetually. The presence of an atmosphere could serve to redistribute heat from the star-lit side to the far side of the planet.[86]
Proxima Centauri'sflare outbursts could erode the atmosphere of any planet in its habitable zone, but the documentary's scientists thought that this obstacle could be overcome.Gibor Basri of theUniversity of California, Berkeley argued: "No one [has] found any showstoppers to habitability." For example, one concern was that the torrents of charged particles from the star's flares could strip the atmosphere off any nearby planet. If the planet had a strong magnetic field, the field would deflect the particles from the atmosphere; even the slow rotation of a tidally locked planet that spins once for every time it orbits its star would be enough to generate a magnetic field, as long as part of the planet's interior remained molten.[87]
Other scientists, especially proponents of theRare Earth hypothesis,[88] disagree that red dwarfs can sustain life. Any exoplanet in this star's habitable zone would likely be tidally locked, resulting in a relatively weak planetarymagnetic moment, leading to strong atmospheric erosion bycoronal mass ejections from Proxima Centauri.[89] In December 2020, a candidateSETI radio signalBLC-1 was announced as potentially coming from the star.[90] The signal was later determined to be human-made radio interference.[91]
In 1915, the Scottish astronomerRobert Innes, director of theUnion Observatory inJohannesburg,South Africa, discovered a star that had the sameproper motion asAlpha Centauri.[92][93][94] He suggested that it be namedProxima Centauri[95] (actuallyProxima Centaurus).[96] In 1917, at theRoyal Observatory at theCape of Good Hope, the Dutch astronomerJoan Voûte measured the star's trigonometricparallax at0.755″±0.028″ and determined that Proxima Centauri was approximately the same distance from the Sun as Alpha Centauri. It was the lowest-luminosity star known at the time.[97] An equally accurate parallax determination of Proxima Centauri was made by American astronomerHarold L. Alden in 1928, who confirmed Innes's view that it is closer, with a parallax of0.783″±0.005″.[93][95]
The size of Proxima Centauri was estimated by the Canadian astronomerJohn Stanley Plaskett in 1925 byinterferometry. The result was 207,000 miles (333,000 km), or approximately 0.24 R☉.[98]
In 1951, American astronomerHarlow Shapley announced that Proxima Centauri is aflare star. Examination of past photographic records showed that the star displayed a measurable increase in magnitude on about 8% of the images, making it the most active flare star then known.[99][100]The proximity of the star allows for detailed observation of its flare activity. In 1980, theEinstein Observatory produced a detailed X-ray energy curve of a stellar flare on Proxima Centauri. Further observations of flare activity were made with theEXOSAT andROSATsatellites, and the X-ray emissions of smaller, solar-like flares were observed by the JapaneseASCA satellite in 1995.[101] Proxima Centauri has since been the subject of study by most X-ray observatories, includingXMM-Newton andChandra.[35]
Because of Proxima Centauri's southern declination, it can only be viewed south oflatitude27° N.[nb 8] Red dwarfs such as Proxima Centauri are too faint to be seen with the naked eye. Even from Alpha Centauri A or B, Proxima would only be seen as a fifth magnitude star.[102][103] It hasapparent visual magnitude 11, so atelescope with anaperture of at least 8 cm (3.1 in) is needed to observe it, even under ideal viewing conditions—under clear, dark skies with Proxima Centauri well above the horizon.[104] In 2016, theInternational Astronomical Union organized aWorking Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalogue and standardize proper names for stars.[105] The WGSN approved the nameProxima Centauri for this star on August 21, 2016, and it is now so included in the List of IAU approved Star Names.[106]
In 2016, asuperflare was observed from Proxima Centauri, the strongest flare ever seen. The optical brightness increased by a factor of 68× to approximately magnitude 6.8. It is estimated that similar flares occur around five times every year but are of such short duration, just a few minutes, that they had never been observed before.[18] On 2020 April 22 and 23, theNew Horizons spacecraft took images of two of the nearest stars, Proxima Centauri andWolf 359. When compared with Earth-based images, a very large parallax effect was easily visible. However, this was only used for illustrative purposes and did not improve on previous distance measurements.[107][108]
Because of the star's proximity to Earth, Proxima Centauri has been proposed as a flyby destination for interstellar travel.[109] If non-nuclear, conventional propulsion technologies are used, the flight of a spacecraft to Proxima Centauri and its planets would probably require thousands of years.[110] For example,Voyager 1, which is now travelling 17 km/s (38,000 mph)[111] relative to the Sun, would reach Proxima Centauri in 73,775 years, were the spacecraft travelling in the direction of that star and Proxima was stationary. Proxima's actual galactic orbit means a slow-moving probe would have only several tens of thousands of years to catch the star at its closest approach, before it recedes out of reach.[112]
Nuclear pulse propulsion might enable such interstellar travel with a trip timescale of a century, inspiring several studies such asProject Orion,Project Daedalus, andProject Longshot.[112] ProjectBreakthrough Starshot aims to reach the Alpha Centauri system within the first half of the 21st century, with microprobes travelling at 20% of the speed of light and propelled by around 100gigawatts of Earth-based lasers.[113] The probes would perform a fly-by of Proxima Centauri about 20 years after its launch, or possibly go into orbit after about 140 years ifswing-bys around Proxima Centauri or Alpha Centauri are to be employed.[114] Then the probes would take photos and collect data of the planets of the stars, and their atmospheric compositions. It would take 4.25 years for the information collected to be sent back to Earth.[115]
^From knowing the absolute visual magnitude of Proxima Centauri,, and the absolute visual magnitude of the Sun,, the visual luminosity of Proxima Centauri can therefore be calculated:
^If Proxima Centauri was a later capture into the Alpha Centauri star system then its metallicity and age could be quite different to that of Alpha Centauri A and B. Through comparing Proxima Centauri to other similar stars it was estimated that it had a lower metallicity, ranging from less than a third, to about the same, of the Sun's.[11][12]
^Extrasolar planet names are designated following theInternational Astronomical Union's naming conventions in alphabetical order according to their respective dates of discovery, with 'Proxima Centauri a' being the star itself.
^The density (ρ) is given by the mass divided by the volume. Relative to the Sun, therefore, the density is =0.122 · 0.154−3 · (1.41 × 103 kg/m3) =33.4 · (1.41 × 103 kg/m3) = 4.71 × 104 kg/m3, where is the average solar density. See:
Munsell, Kirk; Smith, Harman; Davis, Phil; Harvey, Samantha (11 June 2008)."Sun: facts & figures".Solar system exploration. NASA. Archived fromthe original on 2 January 2008. Retrieved12 July 2008.
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^The standard surface gravity on the Earth is980.665 cm/s2, for a "log g" value of 2.992. The difference in logarithms is 5.20 − 2.99 = 2.21, yielding a multiplier of 102.21 = 162. For the Earth's gravity, see:Taylor, Barry N., ed. (2001).The International System of Units (SI)(PDF). United States Department of Commerce: National Institute of Standards and Technology. p. 29. Retrieved8 March 2012.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
^The coordinates of the Sun would be diametrically opposite Proxima Centauri, at α=02h 29m 42.9487s, δ=+62° 40′ 46.141″. The absolute magnitudeMv of the Sun is 4.83, so at a parallaxπ of 0.77199 the apparent magnitudem is given by 4.83 − 5(log10(0.77199) + 1) = 0.40.See:Tayler, Roger John (1994).The Stars: Their Structure and Evolution. Cambridge University Press. p. 16.ISBN978-0-521-45885-6.
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