What Are Stars?
The Sun, stars, planets and its satellites together are called a solar system. Everything in the universe that is directly or indirectly bounded by gravity is part of the solar system. The solar system is a part of the universe, which also contains galactic superclusters to the tiniest subatomic particles with a radius of 46 billion light-years. The average age of the subatomic particles is about 13 to 15 billion years. Stars are the type of celestial body, which consist of a luminous spheroid of plasma. By using the cosmic microwave background radiation and radioactive dating the ages of the particles in the universe can be calculated. Even the stars have a life cycle. The stars start their life from the Stellar Nebula phase and pass through proto-star, star, red giant/supergiant, planetary nebula/supernova, white dwarf/neutron star and finally ends as a black hole. The stars exist in the universe with their own gravity. This entire article is about the nearest star to Earth after Sun
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What Is the Sun?
The Sun and its planets are holding together with the gravitational force. Each planet has its isolated path to rotate and revolve around the sun. The earth has only three closest stars with a distance of less than five light-years. The sun is the closest star to the earth. Astronomers usually mention the sun as a yellow dwarf star. The distance between the sun and earth is about five billion years. Usually, the sun illuminates the earth and is responsible for the daytime. And the Moon takes responsibility for illuminating in the night. Life on the Earth is impossible without the Sun.
Top 10 Nearest Star System To Solar System
According to the research of the Astronauts, there are about 52 stellar systems away from the solar system. Those stellar systems are currently located 16.3 light-years away from the sun. The stellar system contains 63 stars, of which 50 are red dwarfs. These types of stars are the farthest stars from the Milky Way. The list of the nearest stars to our Solar System is given below:
1. Proxima Centauri
The Proxima Centauri is one of the nearest stars to earth after the sun. The Proxima Centauri is in a red dwarf phase. It is a star with a small low mass. The distance between the sun and the constellation of Centaurus is about 4.244 light-years (1.301 pc). This star was discovered by the Astronomer Robert Innes in 1915. So, Proxima Centauri is the name of the star closest to the sun.
2. Alpha Centauri A & B
Alpha Centauri A & B is the second nearest star to the solar system. The distance between the sun and the Alpha Centauri A & B is about 4.34 light-years. Alpha Centauri consists of three stars and two stars together are the binary star Alpha Centauri AB, which consists of Alpha Centauri A (also named Rigil Kentaurus) and Alpha Centauri B (also named Toliman).
The third star is the red dwarf star Alpha Centauri C, which is also known as Proxima Centauri, which is the nearest star to earth after the sun.
3. Barnard’s Star
Barnard Stat is one of the very low mass red dwarf stars. This star is located in the constellation of Ophiuchus. And the distance between the star and the earth is about 6 light-years. Barnard’s star is named after the American astronomer E.E. Barnard. Many astronomers tried to find out whether Barnard’s is a star or a planet. But many failed to spot them.
4. Wolf 359 (CN Leows)
Wolf 359 is the fourth nearest star to our solar system. The Wolf 359 is the faintest and lowest mass star. The wolf 359 is also a red dwarf star and located in the constellation Leo, which is closest to the ecliptic. While observing, this star looks pretty dim and is not visible through naked eyes. The distance between the star and the Earth is about 7.78 light-years.
5. Lalande 21185
During the 19th century, Lalande 21185 was named after the French astronomer Joseph Jérôme Lefrançois de Lalande. The Lalande 21185 is located in the constellation Ursa Major. The Lalande 21185 is a faint red dwarf star and is too dim to see with the naked eye. The star Lalande 21185 and distance to the nearest solar system are about 8.29 light-years. This star has many planetary clues and also astronomers researching the development of the world from old stars. Still, researchers are trying to find the possibility to travel to Lalande 21185 for habitation.
6. UV Ceti A & B
The UV Ceti A & B is the binary star in the solar system, which means two stars are orbiting around in the common barycentre. In 1948, the UV Ceti A & B was discovered by astronomer, Willem Jacob Luyten. The UV Ceti A & B stars are also known as Luten 726-9 or Gliese 65.
7. Sirius A & B
Sirius A & B is the brightest star in the star system that appears in the Earth’s night sky. The Sirius A & B is also known as Alpha Canis Majoris or the Dog Star. Sirius is also a binary star, which contains Sirius A and Sirius B. Sirius B is a white dwarf. The distance between the Earth and the star is about 8.58 light-years. This state is located in the constellation Canis Major. This celestial object is located behind the sun. According to history, Egyptians used Sirius to predict seasonal changes.
8. Ross 248 (Andromedae)
The Ross 248 is also known as HH Andromedae or Gliese 905. Ross 248 is the smallest star located in the northern constellation of Andromeda. In 1926, an astronomer Frank Elmore Ross first catalogued this star. The distance between the Earth and the constellation Andromeda is about 10.3 light-years. The Ross 248 (Andromedae) is one of the fast-moving stars around space, which is about 36,000 years old. So, in 9000 years it may take first place in the top 10 nearest star systems to the solar system. This is also a dim red dwarf start.
9. Gx2 GQ Andromedae
The Gx2 GQ Andromedae is a binary star that consists of two stars orbiting around their common barycentre. This star is located in the northern constellation of Andromeda. The Gx2 GQ Andromedae is also called Groombridge 34.
10. 61 Cygis
The 61 Cygis is also a binary star, located in the constellation Cygnus. The 61 Cygis is a star that is in a pair of K-type dwarf stars. The distance between the 61 Cygis and the earth is about 11.22 light-years.
The below table shows the distance between stars and earth in the form of light-years:
The astronomers are using parallax to find the distance between the stars and the sun. Through this method, it is also possible to determine how the stars move against background objects over the course of Earth's orbit around the Sun. This article provided a detailed explanation of the top 10 nearest star systems to the solar system.
FAQs on Nearest Star System To Solar System
1. Why do Stars Twinkle?
Usually, the stars twinkle during the night only due to the atmospheric effect. While the light of stars entering the atmosphere is highly affected by the wind in the atmosphere and temperature densities. So, it seems like twinkling, while looking from the ground.
2. Are stars born?
The dust of clouds are scattered throughout most galaxies and stars are created. Orion Nebula is one of such stars created by dust clouds. They are also known as protostars. In the early stage of the star, it looks like a hot core at the heart of the collapsing cloud.
3. How long do stars live for?
The stars can burn while they have enough fuel supply. As the star gets burned up, the life of the star shortens. Most of the massive stars will burn out for a few million years of fusion and explode in a supernova. Mass in the stars is like the sun and continues fusing hydrogen for more than 10 billion years.
