Possible planet found in habitable zone around Alpha Centauri
Alpha Centauri A is the bright star to the left, which forms a triple star system with Proxima Centauri, circled in red. The bright star system to the right is Beta Centauri. Image: Wikimages
Scientists using a new technique to image exoplanets in the mid-infrared may have just found a super-Earth-sized exoplanet around Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system to us. Whats more the planet is orbiting in its star’s habitable zone.
At just over 4.22 light years from Earth, Alpha Centauri shines in the sky as a single star and the third-brightest star visible from our world. But, in reality Alpha Centauri is a triple star system consisting of two sun-like stars, Alpha Cen A & B, and a smaller red dwarf star called Proxima Centauri.