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NEAREST STARS
Recent observations by the Hipparcos satellite have provided vastly more accurate data on the distances and other characteristics of nearby stars. Refer to entries on individual stars in the table below for more specific information.
Of the 29 stars that lie within 12 light-years of the Sun, 18 (or 62%) are red dwarfs, 5 are K stars less luminous than the Sun, 2 are white dwarfs, 2 (Sirius A and Procyon A) are stars significantly bigger and brighter than the Sun, and 2 (Alpha Centauri A and Tau Ceti) are G stars of similar spectral type to the Sun. A new nearby star, a red dwarf cataloged as SO025300.5+165258, was discovered in 2003, though its distanced hasn't yet been precisely determined. It is thought to lie somewhere between 6.5 (3rd nearest star system) and 16.3 light-years (46th nearest star system) away.
| Stars within 12 light-years of the Sun (based on Hipparcos data) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| star | distance (light-years) | visual magnitude | absolute magnitude | spectral type |
| Proxima Centauri | 4.22 | 11.01 | 15.45 | M5V |
| Alpha Centauri A | 4.40 | -0.01 | 4.34 | G2V |
| Alpha Centauri B | 4.40 | 1.35 | 5.70 | K0V |
| Barnard's Star | 5.94 | 9.54 | 13.24 | M5V |
| Wolf 359 | 7.78 | 13.45 | 16.56 | M6V |
| Lalande 21185 | 8.32 | 7.49 | 10.46 | M2V |
| Sirius A | 8.60 | -1.44 | 1.45 | A1V |
| Sirius B | 8.60 | 8.44 | 11.33 | dA2 |
| Luyten 726-8A | 8.73 | 12.41 | 15.27 | M5.5V |
| Luyten 726-8B | 8.73 | 13.25 | 16.11 | M5.5V |
| Ross 154 | 9.69 | 10.37 | 13.00 | M4.5V |
| Ross 248 | 10.32 | 12.29 | 14.79 | M6V |
| Epsilon Eridani | 10.50 | 3.72 | 6.18 | K2V |
| Lacaille 9352 | 10.73 | 7.35 | 9.76 | M2V |
| Ross 128 | 10.89 | 11.12 | 13.50 | M4.5V |
| Luyten 789-6 A | 11.08 | 13.3 | 15.6 | M5.5V |
| Luyten 789-6 B | 11.08 | 13.3 | 15.6 | M5V |
| Luyten 789-6 C | 11.08 | 14.0 | 16.3 | M7V |
| Procyon A | 11.41 | 0.40 | 2.68 | F5IV |
| Procyon B | 11.41 | 10.7 | 13.0 | dA |
| 61 Cygni A | 11.43 | 5.20 | 7.49 | K5V |
| 61 Cygni B | 11.43 | 6.05 | 8.33 | K7 |
| Struve 2398 A | 11.64 | 8.94 | 11.18 | M4V |
| Struve 2398 B | 11.64 | 9.70 | 11.97 | M5V |
| Groombridge 34 A | 11.64 | 8.09 | 10.33 | M2V |
| Groombridge 34 B | 11.64 | 11.06 | 13.30 | M6V |
| DX Cancri | 11.83 | 14.81 | 17.01 | M6.5V |
| Epsilon Indi | 11.83 | 4.69 | 6.89 | K5V |
| Tau Ceti | 11.90 | 3.49 | 5.68 | G8V |
Related entry
• brightest stars
Related category
• NOTABLE STARS
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