List of stars close to the Sun

Sphere of influence of the Sun

The space is huge, but the space between the gravitational areas of the 100 billion stars in our Milky Way, is relatively small.
The nearest star to the Sun is only 4.24 light years, it is called Proxima Centauri or α Centauri C, but it is not a bright star is a red dwarf and absolute magnitude The absolute magnitude indicates the actual brightness of a celestial object, while the apparent magnitude depends on the distance of the object. The absolute magnitude of a star is defined as the apparent magnitude the star would have a distance of reference of 10 parsecs (≈32.6 light years) and in the absence of interstellar extinction (dustless between the object and the observer). A gain with a magnitude, corresponds to 2.5 times less brilliance. Example: the magnitude 1 of an object, is 2.5 times less bright than magnitude 2.  +15.49 and apparent magnitude The brightness measured from Earth of a star or other celestial object is expressed in apparent magnitude. The magnitude scale is logarithmic and reversed, that is to say, the lowest magnitudes correspond to the brightest objects. A gain with a magnitude, corresponds to 2.5 times less brilliance. Example: the magnitude 1 of an object, is 2.5 times less bright than magnitude 2.  +11.05, which seems to revolve around its two neighbors, α Centauri A and α Centauri B. Its visible light brightness equals 0.0056% that of the Sun, it radiates most of its light energy (85%) in the infrared.
For a star shines it must produce nuclear reactions in its center. To do this it must reach a minimum weight, 8% of the mass of the Sun (M☉). Below this mass, are brown dwarfs or planets. Proxima Centauri with a mass equal to 12% M☉ shines slightly. It will exist long after the sun because it consumes very little fuel and low will shine for tens of billions of years. Due to its proximity, α Centauri A is the fourth brightest star in the night sky, after Sirius, Canopus and Arcturus is a yellow dwarf of spectral type G2V. G means that it is a yellow dwarf with a surface temperature between 5300 K and 6000 K, like our Sun.
What is a light year?
A light year is ≈10 000 billion km. This distance seems great but the Oort cloud This remote and invisible region of the Solar System is located at 7500 billion km. It hosts billions of light icy body, to the limit of the attraction of the Sun can be disturbed by the slightest gravitational force, of the nearest stars of the solar system., a region of the solar system, is located ≈7500 billion km and contains billions of icy bodies at the boundary of the attraction of the Sun.
Gravitation is a universal force that curves the space over long distances. The gravitational influence of the Sun is therefore "no limit", however it decreases gradually until another mass curves space to it, and imposes its gravitational attraction.
The stars closest to the Sun are located about 4 light years, is the Alpha Centauri system, the system is twice as massive (≈2.13 M☉) that the solar system.
How far the gravitational confrontation between these two massive objects, will therefore take place?
In other words, where is the limit of influence of our Sun?
Although these two objects do not turn one around the other one could use r ≈ a√3 (m/3M) is the simplified formula of the Hill sphere, where r is the radius of the Hill sphere and a the semi-major axis.
So to get an idea of the gravitational boundary is written in Excel:
=4,24*((1/(3*2,13))^(1/3))
The radius of the Hill sphere of the Alpha Centauri system (the heavier object) is ≈ 4.24 multiplied by cube root of (m/3M) = 2.28 light years.
The gravitational influence zone of the solar system thus dies approximately 4.24 - 2.28 = 1.96 light years. A celestial object (dwarf or floating exoplanet) could remain in the vicinity of the boundary between the two systems without being caught by one of the two.

Table: list of nearest bright stars within 25 light years of the Sun and whose absolute magnitude is 8.5 minimum. Distances are from the Hipparcos catalog of stars (ESA). The magnitude scale is logarithmic and reversed, for example, a star of magnitude 5 is 2.5 times less bright than a star of magnitude 6. To understand the colors of stars see the stars categories.

Image: nearby stars. The nearest star to the Sun is only 4.24 light years, it is called Proxima Centauri or α Centauri C, but it is not a bright star is a red dwarf and absolute magnitude +15.49 and apparent magnitude +11.05, which seems to revolve around its two neighbors, α Centauri A and α Centauri B. the big bright star on the front foot of the Centaur is the triple star system Alpha Centauri.

Table: equivalences between the distance units (parsec, light year, astronomical unit and km).