Proxima Centauri flare

Exoplanets

Proxima Centauri Releases Powerful Flare

The Sun dwarfs its nearest stellar neighbor, but Proxima Centauri's flares pack a comparatively energetic punch.

Temperate exoplanet 11 light-years away

Exoplanets

Planet Orbits Quiet Star 11 Light-years Away

Astronomers have discovered a potentially rocky planet around a red dwarf star just 11 light-years away.

Exoplanets

Cool Dust — and More Planets? — for Proxima Centauri

Tantalizing new observations hint that there's a lot more going on in the Proxima Centauri system — the one that hosts the exoplanet nearest Earth — than meets the eye.

convective M dwarf

Stellar Science

Proxima Centauri Has Sun-Like Cycle

Observations confirm that the closest star to our solar system has a regular magnetic cycle similar to our Sun.

illustration of Proxima Centauri b

Orbital Path Podcasts with Michelle Thaller

Orbital Path 9: Howdy, Neighbor!

For years astronomers anticipated a planet orbiting Proxima Centauri. Michelle Thaller talks with astrophysicist Patricia Boyd about NASA’s ongoing search for exoplanets and what’s next for exploring other worlds.

Proxima Centauri

Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson

Hunting for Planets Around Proxima Centauri

The Pale Red Dot Initiative has begun the search in earnest for exoplanets orbiting the nearest star to Earth besides the Sun.

Proxima Centauri

Exoplanets

Chance to Catch Closest Exoplanet?

In 2014 and 2016, Proxima Centauri will pass in front of two distant stars, potentially revealing details about itself and whether it hosts any planets in the process.