Updated January 15, 2015

List of Stars Near the Sun

Image description: The closest star to the Sun is only 4.24 light-years away, called Proxima Centauri or α Centauri C, but it is not a bright star. Image source: NASA, ESA, Hubble SM4 ERO Team.

Sun's Influence Zone

Space is immense, but the space between the gravitational zones of the 100 billion stars in our Milky Way is relatively small. For example, the radius of the Hill Sphere of the Alpha Centauri system is about 2.28 light-years. The gravitational influence zone of our Solar System ends at about 1.96 light-years. A celestial object (dwarf or floating exoplanet) could remain in the vicinity of this boundary, between the two systems, without being captured by either.

Our star is part of a vast stellar system composed of billions of stars. Among these stars, some are particularly close to us. These neighboring stars offer a unique opportunity to study stellar and planetary systems outside our own solar system. Here is a short list of the stars closest to the Sun and their main characteristics.

Proxima Centauri

Proxima Centauri is the closest star to the Sun, located about 4.24 light-years away. It is a red dwarf, which means it is much smaller and cooler than the Sun. Proxima Centauri is also known to host at least one exoplanet, Proxima Centauri b, which orbits in the star's habitable zone.

Alpha Centauri A and B

Alpha Centauri is a triple star system, but the two main stars, Alpha Centauri A and B, are the closest to the Sun after Proxima Centauri. Located about 4.37 light-years away, these two stars form a binary system. Alpha Centauri A is a G-type star, similar to the Sun, while Alpha Centauri B is a K-type star, slightly smaller and cooler.

Barnard's Star

Barnard's Star, located about 5.96 light-years away, is another red dwarf close to the Sun. It is known for having the highest proper motion of any star, meaning it moves rapidly across the sky relative to other stars. Barnard's Star is also suspected of hosting an exoplanet, although this still requires confirmation.

Wolf 359

Wolf 359 is a red dwarf located about 7.78 light-years from the Sun. It is one of the closest and most studied stars due to its proximity. Wolf 359 is also known for its intense stellar activity, with frequent flares that could affect the possibility of life on any planet orbiting it.

Lalande 21185

Lalande 21185 is a red dwarf located about 8.31 light-years from the Sun. It is one of the brightest stars among the nearby red dwarfs, making it an interesting target for astronomical observations.

Sirius

Sirius, located about 8.6 light-years away, is the brightest star seen from Earth. It is a binary system composed of Sirius A, a white main-sequence star, and Sirius B, a white dwarf. Sirius is well known for its brightness and cultural significance in many ancient civilizations.

Luyten 726-8

Luyten 726-8 is a binary system composed of two red dwarfs, located about 8.73 light-years from the Sun. The two stars, Luyten 726-8 A and B, are very close to each other and orbit around their common center of mass.

Ross 154

Ross 154 is a red dwarf located about 9.69 light-years from the Sun. It is one of the closest and most studied stars due to its proximity and stellar activity.

Ross 248

Ross 248, located about 10.32 light-years away, is a red dwarf distinguished by its high proper motion. It is one of the closest and most studied stars due to its proximity and stellar activity.

Epsilon Eridani

Epsilon Eridani is a K-type star located about 10.5 light-years from the Sun. It is one of the closest and most studied stars due to its proximity and planetary system. Epsilon Eridani is known to host at least one exoplanet and a debris disk.

List of Nearby Stars

List of the closest bright stars located less than 25 light-years from the Sun and with an absolute magnitude of at least 8.5. The distances are taken from the Hipparcos star catalog (ESA). The magnitude scale is logarithmic and inverted, for example, a star of magnitude 5 is 2.5 times less bright than a star of magnitude 6. To understand the colors of the stars, see the star categories.

Star Designation	Stellar Class	magnitude app./abs.		Distance (ly)

Sun	G2V	-26.74	4.80	0
α Centauri A	G2V	0.01	4.34	4.39
α Centauri B	K1V	1.34	5.70	4.39
Sirius	A1V	-1.46	1.42	8.58
ε Eridani	K2V	3.72	6.18	10.50
61 Cygni A	K5.0V	5.20	7.49	11.40
61 Cygni B	K7.0V	6.05	8.31	11.40
Procyon A	F5IV-V	0.34	2.65	11.50
ε Indi	K5Ve	4.69	6.89	11.80
τ Ceti	G8Vp	3.49	5.68	11.90
Groombridge 1618	K7.0V	6.60	8.16	15.90
40 Eridani A	K1Ve	4.43	5.92	16.50
70 Ophiuchi A	K1Ve	4.24	5.71	16.60
70 Ophiuchi B	K5Ve	6.01	7.48	16.60
Altair	A71V-V	0.76	2.20	16.70
σ Draconis	K0V	4.67	5.87	18.80
Gliese 570	K5Ve	5.72	6.86	19.00
η Cassiopeiae	G3V	3.46	4.59	19.40
36 Ophiuchi A	K1Ve	5.07	6.18	19.50
36 Ophiuchi B	K1Ve	5.11	6.22	19.50
36 Ophiuchi C	K5Ve	6.33	7.45	19.50
HR 7703	K3V	5.32	6.41	19.60
82 Eridani	G8V	4.26	5.35	19.80
δ Pavonis	G7V	3.55	4.62	19.90
Gliese 892	K3V	5.57	6.50	21.30
ξ Bootis A	G8Ve	4.72	5.59	21.9
ξ Bootis B	K4Ve	6.97	7.84	21.9
Gliese 667 A	K3V	6.29	7.07	22.70
Gliese 667 B	K5V	7.24	8.02	22.70
HR 753 A	K3V	5.79	6.50	23.50
Gliese 33	K2V	5.74	6.38	24.30
β Hydri	G2IV	2.82	3.45	24.40
107 Piscium	K1V	5.24	5.87	24.40
μ Cassiopeiae A	G5VI	5.17	5.78	24.60
TW Piscis Austrini	K5Ve	6.48	7.07	24.90
Fomalhaut	A1V	1.17	1.74	25.10
Gliese 673	K7V	7.54	8.10	25.20