Proxima Centauri

Proxima Centauri is a small, low-mass star located 4.2465 light-years (1.3020 pc) away from Sol in the southern constellation of Centaurus. Its Latin name means the 'nearest [star] of Centaurus'. It was discovered in 1915 by Robert Innes. Proxima Centauri is a member of the Alpha Centauri star system, being identified as component Alpha Centauri C, and is 2.18° to the southwest of the Alpha Centauri AB pair.   Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf star with a mass about 12.5% of the Sun's mass, and average density about 33 times that of the Sun. Although it has a very low average luminosity, Proxima Centauri is a flare star that randomly undergoes dramatic increases in brightness because of magnetic activity. The star's magnetic field is created by convection throughout the stellar body, and the resulting flare activity generates a total X-ray emission similar to that produced by the Sun. The internal mixing of its fuel by convection through its core, and Proxima's relatively low energy-production rate, mean that it will be a main-sequence star for another four trillion years.   Proxima Centauri has three exoplanets: Proxima, Proxima B and Proxima C. Proxima orbits the star at a distance of roughly 0.05 AU (7.5 million km) with an orbital period of approximately 11.2 Earth days. Proxima orbits within Proxima Centauri's habitable zone—the range where temperatures are right for liquid water to exist on its surface.