Proxima Centauri
Proxima Cen · GJ 551 · 1.30 pc · M5.5Ve · Nearest star to Sol · Potentially habitable planet
Section 01
General Information
Proxima Centauri is the nearest star to the Sun, bound to the Alpha Centauri AB system at ~0.2 pc separation. Proxima b sits in the habitable zone, though as an M5.5Ve flare star, Proxima exposes its planets to intense UV and X-ray flares that may strip atmospheres. Its analysis tests whether the Codex pipeline extends to M-dwarf temperatures (~3050 K).
Stellar Parameters
| Parameter | Symbol | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective temperature | Teff | ~3050 K | Literature |
| Surface gravity | log g | ~5.20 | Literature |
| Metallicity | [Fe/H] | ~+0.21 dex | Literature |
| Mass | M★ | ~0.12 M☉ | Literature |
| Spectral type | — | M5.5Ve | Flare star |
| Distance | d | 1.30 pc (4.24 ly) | Gaia DR3 |
Known Planets
| Planet | Mass | Type | Semi-major axis | Hab zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proxima b | ~1.07 M⊕ | Rocky — hab zone | 0.0485 AU | Potentially (tidal lock) |
| Proxima c | ~7 M⊕ | Super-Earth | 1.489 AU | No — too cold |
| Proxima d | ~0.26 M⊕ | Sub-Earth candidate | 0.0289 AU | No — too hot |
Section 02
NASA Interactive Visualization
Section 04
Our Findings
Section 05
References & Credits
Key Literature
Anglada-Escudé et al. (2016), Nature 536 — Proxima b discovery
Damasso et al. (2020) — Proxima c
Suárez Mascareño et al. (2020) — Proxima d candidate
Data Sources
NASA/IPAC Exoplanet Archive
SIMBAD / CDS — stellar parameters
Hipparcos / Gaia — parallax & distance
Image Credits
Credit: NASA/ESA/Hubble — Proxima Centauri (HST/ACS)
Interactive sky: CDS Aladin Lite v3 / DSS2
NASA Eyes: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Pipeline
HARPS S1D — ESO Science Archive
Analysis: The Exoplanet Codex