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Alpha Centauri

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noun
Astronomy. a triple-star system that is the brightest celestial object in the constellation Centaurus.
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Also called Rigel Kentaurus.

Origin of Alpha Centauri

<New Latin: Alpha of Centaurus
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Alpha Centauri in a sentence

Scientific definitions for Alpha Centauri

Alpha Centauri
[ ălfə sĕn-tôrē ]

A triple star system in the constellation Centaurus that is the third brightest star in the night sky, with an apparent magnitude of -0.27, and the star nearest to Earth, at a distance of about 4.2 light-years. The two brighter stars, Alpha Centauri A and B, form a binary star system, which is orbited by Proxima Centauri, a smaller, dimmer star.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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