Stars Alpha Centauri & Proxima Centauri (labeled): Wide-field View | ESO

Stars Alpha Centauri & Proxima Centauri (labeled): Wide-field View | ESO

This image of the sky around the bright star Alpha Centauri AB also shows the much fainter red dwarf star, Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the Solar System. The picture was created from pictures forming part of the Digitized Sky Survey 2. The blue halo around Alpha Centauri AB is an artifact of the photographic process, the star is really pale yellow in color like the Sun.

Distance: about 4 light years

Credit: Digitized Sky Survey 2

Acknowledgement: Davide De Martin/Mahdi Zamani

Release Date: August 24, 2016

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #StarSystem #Stars #AlphaCentauri #AlphaCentauriA #AlphaCentauriB #BetaCentauri #Exoplanet #ProximaCentauri #Centaurus #Constellation #MilkyWay #Galaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Chile #Europe #Infographic #STEM #Education