Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2025 January 1
    [2]A star field is filled with red-glowing gas. Near the center is a
   bright star system Alpha Centauri, the closest star system to our Sun.
          Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                   Alpha Centauri: The Closest Star System
        Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Telescope Live, Heaven's Mirror
                 Observatory; Processing: [4]Chris Cantrell

   Explanation: The closest star system to the Sun is the [5]Alpha
   Centauri system. Of the three stars in the system, the dimmest --
   called [6]Proxima Centauri -- is actually the [7]nearest star. The
   bright stars [8]Alpha Centauri A and B form a close [9]binary as they
   are separated by only 23 times the [10]Earth- Sun distance - slightly
   greater than the distance between [11]Uranus and the [12]Sun. The
   [13]Alphasystem
   is not visible in much of the northern hemisphere. Alpha Centauri A,
   also known as [14]Rigil Kentaurus, is the brightest star in the
   constellation of [15]Centaurus and is the fourth brightest star in the
   night sky. [16]Sirius is the brightest even though it is more than
   twice as far away. By an [17]exciting coincidence, [18]Alpha Centauri A
   is the same type of star as our [19]Sun, and Proxima Centauri is now
   known to have a [20]potentially habitable exoplanet.

                     Tomorrow's picture: 2024 in the sun
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [32]Robert Nemiroff ([33]MTU) & [34]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([35]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [36]Specific rights apply.
            [37]NASA Web Privacy, [38]Accessibility, [39]Notices;
                A service of: [40]ASD at [41]NASA / [42]GSFC,
                         [43]NASA Science Activation
                           & [44]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2501/AlphaCen_Cantrell_3429.jpg
   3. https://help.telescope.live/hc/en-us/articles/360002914138-Heaven-s-Mirror-Observatory-Australia-AUS
   4. mailto: irqlurp at gmail dot com
   5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_centauri
   6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap160118.html
   7. http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/nearstar.html
   8. http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/rigil-kent.html
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap970219.html
  10. https://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/ask/301-What-is-an-Astronomical-Unit-
  11. https://science.nasa.gov/uranus/
  12. http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=18012
  13. https://youtu.be/4uBG_Xowyp4
  14. http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/rigil-kent.html
  15. http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/constellations/centaurus.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap000611.html
  17. https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/comments/29l2wk/a_very_happy_cat/#lightbox
  18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Centauri
  19. https://science.nasa.gov/sun/
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap160825.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241231.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  25. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  27. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  30. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250101
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250102.html
  32. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  34. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  35. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  36. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  37. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  40. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  43. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  44. http://www.mtu.edu/