Proxima Centuri

star to the Sun, about 4.2 light-years away in the Alpha Centauri system. As a red dwarf star—the most common type of star—Proxima Centauri is about seven times smaller than the Sun and a little more than half as hot, at 3,100 kelvins. In fact, the tiny star is only 50 percent larger than the planet Jupiter. Red dwarf stars burn their hydrogen fuel very efficiently, ensuring lengthy life spans. Astronomers predict that Proxima Centauri will remain in its current phase for well over four trillion years (by comparison, the universe is roughly 13.8 billion years old). The Alpha Centauri system can be seen in the constellation Centaurus, but Proxima Centauri itself is normally invisible to the naked eye. The star was discovered in 1915 by the Scottish astronomer Robert Innes.

                                                                 Proxima Centauri is a small, low-mass star located 4.2465 light-years (1.3020 pc) away from the Sun in the southern constellation of Centaurus. Its Latin name means the 'nearest [star] of Centaurus'. It was discovered in 1915 by Robert Innes and is the nearest-known star to the Sun