Proxima Centauri, at a distance of 4.25 light years, is the nearest
star to the solar system. It seems to be linked into a loose triple
system with the binary pair Alpha Centauri A and B, which are
slightly further away, at a distance of 4.4 light years.
The Sun lies in one of the spiral arms of the Galaxy - the Orion
arm - about 28,000 light years from the galactic centre. In the
Sun's locality, stars are typically separated by several light years.
The density of stars is lower in the gaps between the spiral arms
and above or below the plane of the Galaxy. Close to the galactic
centre, the stars are packed in much more tightly and are
separated by distances of order one tenth of a light year.
|
(1998).ISO/media/record_breakers/graphics/nearstar.jpg)