Misc

The 44 Closest Stars and How They Compare to our Sun

Published

3 years ago

June 26, 2020

Nick Routley

44 Closest Stars and How They Compare to our Sun

Humans have been fascinated by the stars in the night sky since the dawn of time.

We’ve been decoding the mysteries of celestial bodies for many centuries, but it is only in the last 200 years or so that we’ve been able to glean more detailed information on the lights that dot the night sky. Friedrich Bessel’s method of stellar parallax was a breakthrough in accurately measuring the positions of stars, and opened new doors in the effort to map our universe. Today, high-powered telescopes offer even more granular data on our cosmic neighborhood.

The infographic above, from Alan’s Factory Outlet, categorizes the 44 closest stars to Earth, examining the size, luminosity, constellations, systems, and potential planets of each star.

Our Nearest Stellar Neighbors

Our closest neighboring stars are all part of the same solar system: Alpha Centauri. This triple star system – consisting of Proxima Centauri, Alpha Centauri A, and Alpha Centauri B – attracts a lot of interest because it hosts planets, including one that may be similar to Earth.

The planet, Proxima Centauri b, is a lot closer to its star than Earth is to the Sun. However, because Proxima Centauri is a smaller and cooler red dwarf type star, the planet’s orbit is within the habitable zone. It’s thought that Proxima Centauri b receives approximately the same amount of solar energy as Earth does from our Sun.

Here’s a full list of the 44 of the closest stars to Earth:

Star Name	Distance (light years)	MoE
Sun	0.000016	±0.0011
Proxima Centauri	4.37	±0.0068
α Centauri A	4.37	±0.0068
α Centauri B	4.37	±0.0068
Barnard's Star	5.96	±0.0032
Wolf 359	7.86	±0.031
Lalande 21185	8.31	±0.014
Sirius A	8.66	±0.010
Sirius B	8.66	±0.010
Luyten 726-8 A	8.79	±0.012
Luyten 726-8 B	8.79	±0.012
Ross 154	9.70	±0.0019
Ross 248	10.29	±0.0041
Epsilon Eridani	10.45	±0.016
Lacaille 9352	10.72	±0.0016
Ross 128	11.01	±0.0026
EZ Aquarii A	11.11	±0.034
61 Cygni A	11.40	±0.0012
61 Cygni B	11.40	±0.0012
Procyon A	11.40	±0.032
Procyon B	11.40	±0.032
Struve 2398 A	11.49	±0.0012
Struve 2398 B	11.49	±0.0012
Groombridge 34 A	11.62	±0.0008
Groombridge 34 B	11.62	±0.0008
DX Cancri	11.68	±0.0056
Tau Ceti	11.75	±0.022
Epsilon Indi	11.87	±0.011
Gliese 1061	11.98	±0.0029
YZ Ceti	12.11	±0.0035
Luyten's Star	12.20	±0.036
Teegarden's Star	12.50	±0.013
SCR 1845-6357	13.05	±0.008
Kapteyn's Star	12.83	±0.0013
Lacaille 8760	12.95	±0.0029
Kruger 60 A	13.07	±0.0052
Kruger 60 B	13.07	±0.0052
Wolf 1061	14.05	±0.0038
Wolf 424 A	14.05	±0.26
Van Maanen's star	14.07	±0.0023
Gliese 1	14.17	±0.0037
TZ Arietis	14.58	±0.0070
Gliese 674	14.84	±0.0033
Gliese 687	14.84	±0.0022

Even though we see many of these stars in the night sky, humans aren’t likely to see them in person any time soon. To put these vast distances into perspective, if the Voyager spacecraft were to travel to Proxima Centauri, it would take over 73,000 years to finally arrive.

The Brightest Stars in the Sky

The closest stars aren’t necessarily the ones most visible to us here on Earth. Here are the top 10 stars in terms of visual brightness from Earth:

Rank	Proper name	Constellation	Visual magnitude (mV)	Distance (light years)
1	Sun	N/A	−26.74	0.000016
2	Sirius	Canis Major	−1.46	8.6
3	Canopus	Carina	−0.74	310.0
4	Rigil Kentaurus & Toliman	Centaurus	−0.27 (0.01 + 1.33)	4.4
5	Arcturus	Boötes	−0.05	37.0
6	Vega	Lyra	0.03 (−0.02–0.07var)	25.0
7	Capella	Auriga	0.08 (0.03–0.16var)	43.0
8	Rigel	Orion	0.13 (0.05–0.18var)	860.0
9	Procyon	Canis Minor	0.34	11.0
10	Achernar	Eridanus	0.46 (0.40–0.46var)	139.0

Excluding our Sun, the brightest star visible from Earth is Sirius, or the Dog Star. Sirius, which is about 25 times more luminous than the sun, visually punctuates the constellation Canis Major.

Filling in the Gaps

The next step in learning more about our surroundings in the cosmos will be seeing which of the stars listed above have planets orbiting them. So far, the 44 stars in the infographic have over 40 planets scattered among them, though new discoveries are made all the time.

With each new mission and discovery, we learn a little bit more about our pocket of the universe.

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Misc

Ranked: The World’s Top 10 Automotive Exporters (2000-2022)

Data from the World Trade Organization highlights the world’s 10 largest automotive exporters in 2022.

Published

4 days ago

September 30, 2023

Marcus Lu

Ranked: The World’s Top 10 Automotive Exporters

According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, over 85 million motor vehicles were built around the world in 2022.

In this graphic, we add context to this massive figure by ranking the world’s 10 largest automotive exporters. The list is based on data from the World Trade Organization (WTO) and includes countries from nearly every corner of the world, highlighting the global nature of the industry.

Top 10 Exporting Countries

The data we used to create this graphic is included in the table below. It represents each country’s share of the total export value of global automotive products in both 2000 and 2022.

“Automotive products” are defined by the WTO as motor vehicles, parts and accessories for motor vehicles, and internal combustion engines for propelling said vehicles. This grouping excludes motorcycles and trailers.

Exporter	2000 (% of world exports)	2022 (% of world exports)	Change (pp)
🇪🇺 EU	45.4%	46.1%	+0.7
🇺🇸 U.S.	11.7%	9.1%	-2.6
🇯🇵 Japan	15.3%	8.9%	-6.4
🇲🇽 Mexico	5.3%	8.5%	+3.2
🇨🇳 China	0.3%	8.0%	+7.7
🇰🇷 South Korea	2.6%	5.1%	+2.5
🇨🇦 Canada	10.5%	3.3%	-7.2
🇬🇧 UK	4.5%	2.7%	-1.8
🇹🇭 Thailand	0.4%	2.0%	+1.6
🇹🇷 Türkiye	0.3%	1.7%	+1.4
Total	96.3%	95.4%	--

From this list we can identify which countries have experienced the most growth or decline over the past 22 years.

Countries With the Most Growth Since 2000

The automotive exporters that grew their share of global value the most since 2000 are China (+7.7 pp), Mexico (+3.2 pp), and South Korea (+2.5 pp).

There are clear drivers behind each of these growth stories.

For example, China became the world’s largest car market back in 2009, which accelerated the growth of its domestic automakers. China is also home to some of the world’s biggest automotive suppliers, including Weichai (diesel engines), Hasco Automotive (drivetrain and air conditioning systems), and CATL (EV batteries).

Mexico, on the other hand, has grown its auto industry by enticing global brands to construct their factories there. The country’s competitive edge includes cheaper labor and a land border to the United States.

Finally there’s South Korea, whose growth is largely attributed to Hyundai Motor Company. The Seoul-based automaker recently became the third largest on a global basis, trailing only Toyota and Volkswagen.

Countries With the Biggest Decline Since 2000

The automotive exporters that declined the most since 2000 are Canada (-7.2 pp), Japan (-6.4 pp), and the U.S. (-2.6 pp).

Canada’s auto industry has experienced a steady decline in recent years, though new EV-related investments could turn things around. In March 2022, Stellantis and LG Energy Solutions announced the construction of a $3.5 billion EV battery plant in Windsor, Ontario.

Canada’s automotive industry is largely concentrated in the province of Ontario, which neighbors Michigan, the top state for U.S. car production.