This website contains 3-D perspective maps and a model of the closest stars to Earth. To clarify the location of stars, Proxima designations are used for dim stars that do not have classical or common designations. Each star system with a Proxima name is the closest star system in its constellation. For other stars, their distance rankings for their constellations are indicated below. Star names are linked to Wikipedia pages that provide more detail. Star systems closer than twelve light-years away are shown on the maps and are listed on all pages. Stars closer than fifteen light-years away are listed below, and Proxima stars closer than 21 light-years are listed at the bottom of this page, along with some related links.
Proxima Designations
Except for Proxima Centauri, the proxima designations listed here are not commonly used names for these stars, but why not? Certainly when viewing a range of stars through a telescope names like 'Wolf 359', 'Luyten 726-8' or 'Ross 154' are as good as any other for dim stars among thousands. But when discussing the very closest stars as we are here, aren't these catalog-based names cumbersome? Wouldn't it be easier and clearer to refer to these stars by the constellation-based 'Proxima' names listed here? This is an extension of the naming standard started with 'Proxima Centauri', first named in 1915. This naming convention isn't derived from any particular astronomer or organization, because it doesn't pertain to a particular telescopic survey or catalog. Just as 'Proxima Centauri' is merely another way of saying 'closest star in Centaurus', so 'Proxima Leonis' is another way of saying 'closest star in Leo'. We use the Proxima names here because we would like to encourage their use when discussing the nearest stars. If anyone has any comments, please contact us at comments@ClosestStars.com.
| Distance (LY) Star System________ Alternate Names |
| 0.00 Sun Sol |
| 4.24 Proxima Centauri Alpha Centauri C, GJ 551 |
| 4.36 Alpha Centauri (A&B) Rigil Kentaurus, Toliman |
| 5.96 Barnard's Star Proxima Ophiuchi, GJ 699 |
| 7.78 Proxima Leonis Wolf 359, CN Leonis, GJ 406 |
| 8.29 Proxima Ursae Majoris Lalande 21185, GJ 411 |
| 8.58 Sirius (A,B) Alpha/Proxima Canis Majoris |
| 8.73 Proxima Ceti (A,B) Luyten 726-8, UV & BL Ceti, GJ 65 |
| 9.68 Proxima Sagittarii Ross 154, V1216 Sagittarii, GJ 729 |
| 10.32 Proxima Andromedae Ross 248 , HH Andromedae, GJ905 |
| 10.52 Epsilon Eridani Proxima Eridani, GJ 144 |
| 10.74 Proxima Piscis Austrini Lacaille 9352, GJ 887 |
| 10.92 Proxima Virginis Ross 128, FI Virginis, GJ 447 |
| 11.27 Proxima Aquarii (A,B,C) EZ Aquarii, GJ 866 11.37 Proxima Cygni (A,B) 61 Cygni, GJ 820 |
| 11.40 Procyon (A,B) Alpha/Proxima Canis Minoris |
| 11.52 Proxima Draconis (A,B) Struve 2398, GJ 725 11.62 Groombridge 34 (A,B) GX/GQ Andromedae, GJ 15, 2nd in Andromeda 11.82 Epsilon Indi (A,Ba,Bb) Proxima Indi, GJ 845 11.83 Proxima Cancri DX Cancri, GJ 1111 11.89 Tau Ceti GJ 71, 2nd in Cetus 11.99 Proxima Horologii GJ 1061, LHS 1565 12.10 YZ Ceti LHS 138, GJ 54.1, 3rd in Cetus The following star systems are 12 to 15 light-years away and are not on the maps on this website. 12.37 Luyten's Star GJ 273, 2nd in Canis Minor 12.51 Proxima Arietis Teegarden's star 12.57 Proxima Pavonis SCR 1845-6357 12.78 Proxima Pictoris Kapteyn's Star, VZ Pictoris 12.87 Proxima Microscopii Lacaille 8760, AX Microscopii 13.15 Proxima Cephei (A,B) Kruger 60, DO Cephei 13.17 Proxima Antliae DEN 1048-3956 13.35 Proxima Monocerotis (A,B) Ross 614, V577 Monocerotis 13.82 Wolf 1061 GJ 628, 2nd in Ophiuchus 14.07 Proxima Piscium Van Maanen's Star, GJ 35, LHS 7 14.23 Proxima Sculptoris GJ 1, LHS 1 14.31 Wolf 424 (A,B) GJ 473, FL Virginis, 2nd in Virgo 14.51 TZ Arietis GJ 83.1, LHS 11, 2nd in Aries 14.79 GJ 687 LHS 450, 2nd in Draco 14.80 Proxima Sextantis LHS 292 14.81 Proxima Arae GJ 674, LHS 449 14.81 GJ 1245 (A,B,C) V1581 Cygni, 2nd in Cygnus The following star systems are the closest star systems in their constellations, from 15 to 21 light-years away from Earth. See 100 closest stars for a complete list of stars at these distances. 15.05 Proxima Muscae GJ 440, LHS 43 15.83 Proxima Carinae LHS 288 16.33 Proxima Scorpii GJ 682 16.46 Proxima Lacertae EV Lacertae, GJ 873 16.72 Altair Alpha Aquilae, Proxima Aquilae 17.22 Proxima Orionis G099-049 17.54 Proxima Camelopardalis GJ 445 17.70 Proxima Bootis GJ 526 17.90 Proxima Capricorni LP 816-060 18.15 Proxima Geminorum GJ 251 18.47 Proxima Lyrae 2MASS 1835+3259 18.83 Proxima Leporis (A,B) GJ 229 19.19 Proxima Librae (A,B,C,D) GJ 570 , HR 5568 19.36 Eta Cassiopeiae Proxima Cassiopeiae, GJ 34 19.36 Proxima Lupi GJ 588 19.42 Proxima Telescopii GJ 574 20.02 Proxima Aurigae (A,B) QY Aurigae, GJ 268 20.67 Proxima Pegasi (A,B) EQ Pegasi, GJ 896 20.85 Proxima Herculis (A,B) GJ 661 20.86 Proxima Hydrae LHS 3003 |
Proxima Designations
Except for Proxima Centauri, the proxima designations listed here are not commonly used names for these stars, but why not? Certainly when viewing a range of stars through a telescope names like 'Wolf 359', 'Luyten 726-8' or 'Ross 154' are as good as any other for dim stars among thousands. But when discussing the very closest stars as we are here, aren't these catalog-based names cumbersome? Wouldn't it be easier and clearer to refer to these stars by the constellation-based 'Proxima' names listed here? This is an extension of the naming standard started with 'Proxima Centauri', first named in 1915. This naming convention isn't derived from any particular astronomer or organization, because it doesn't pertain to a particular telescopic survey or catalog. Just as 'Proxima Centauri' is merely another way of saying 'closest star in Centaurus', so 'Proxima Leonis' is another way of saying 'closest star in Leo'. We use the Proxima names here because we would like to encourage their use when discussing the nearest stars. If anyone has any comments, please contact us at comments@ClosestStars.com.
