Cosmic Compass

The Proxima Centauri System

Proxima Centauri, the closest known star to the Sun, hosts exoplanets that offer a glimpse into the possibilities of life beyond Earth. Located just 4.24 light-years away, this red dwarf star is part of the Alpha Centauri system.It is a small, low-mass star, too faint to be seen with the naked eye, with an apparent magnitude of 11.13.

Key Exoplanets

Proxima b

A potentially habitable Earth-sized planet located within the star's habitable zone. It has an orbital period of about 11 days.

Proxima c

A super-Earth with a much longer orbital period (~5 years), believed to be covered in ice, orbiting farther from Proxima Centauri.

🚀 Detection Methods 🚀

These exoplanets were discovered using advanced detection techniques:

Radial Velocity Method: Measures the star's wobble due to gravitational pull from orbiting planets.
Transit Method: Detects slight dimming of the star’s light as planets pass in front of it.