Proxima Centauri

[prok-suh-muh]

noun

1. the nearest star to the sun at a distance of 4.3 light-years, part of the Alpha Centauri triple-star system located in the constellation Centaurus.

Proxima Centauri

1. See under Alpha Centauri

Word History and Origins

Origin of Proxima Centauri¹

< New Latin: nearest (star) of Centaurus

Example Sentences

The closest red dwarf to us is Proxima Centauri.

Read more on Space Scoop

The closest Earth-like exoplanet to us -- and possibly the most famous -- is Proxima Centauri b, which is only 4 light-years away.

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Of the two, findings show that only for Proxima Centauri b would the machines be able to detect carbon dioxide if it were present.

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Even if I traveled for trillions of miles, I’d barely reach Proxima Centauri, the next closest star after the sun.

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It’s actually a triple star system, with two sunlike stars that orbit each other and a third star, called Proxima Centauri, that is much farther out.

Read more on Scientific American