Science Fact Finder | Space - Which Star Is Closest To Earth?

Which star is closest to Earth?

The sun, at a distance of about 92 million miles, is the closest star to Earth. After the sun, the closest stars are the members of the triple star system known as Alpha Centauri (Alpha Centauri A, Alpha Centauri B, and Alpha Centauri C, sometimes called Proxima Centauri). They are 4.3 light-years away. (A light-year is the distance light travels in one year, about 5.9 trillion miles.)

Sources: Flaste, Richard, ed. The New York Times Book of Science Literacy: What Everyone Needs to Know From Newton to Knuckleball,p. 19; Moore, Patrick. International Encyclopedia of Astronomy, p. 22.

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