Proxima Centauri b

exoplanet · nearest star · habitable zone · red dwarf

Super close neighbor. Proxima Centauri b is the nearest exoplanet we know about, orbiting a star that is closer to us than any other star except the Sun. At just 4.2 light-years away, it is our closest known alien world.

Red dwarf star. The planet orbits a red dwarf star called Proxima Centauri, which is much smaller and dimmer than our Sun. Red dwarfs are the most common type of star in the galaxy.

In the habitable zone. Proxima Centauri b sits in the habitable zone, also called the Goldilocks zone, where temperatures might be just right for liquid water to exist. This makes scientists very interested in whether life could be there.

Part of a triple system. Proxima Centauri is part of the Alpha Centauri system, which contains three stars orbiting together. Proxima Centauri is actually the smallest and faintest of the three.

Discovered in 2016. Astronomers found Proxima Centauri b using special tools that detect tiny wobbles in a star's light caused by orbiting planets. It was a major discovery in the search for worlds like Earth.