Misc
The 44 Closest Stars and How They Compare to our Sun
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.
Demographics
Visualizing Population Density Patterns in Six Countries
These maps show the population density of several countries, using 3D spikes to denote where more people live.

As of 2022, Earth has 8 billion humans. By 2050, the population is projected to grow to 10 billion.
In the last 100 years, the global population more than quadrupled. But none of this growth has been evenly spread out, including within countries.
This series of 3D maps from Terence Teo, an associate professor at Seton Hall University, renders the population density of six countries using open-source data from Kontur Population. He used popular programming language R and a path-tracing package, Rayshader, to create the maps.
France and Germany: Population Density Spikes and Troughs
Let’s take a look at how the population spreads out in different countries around the world. Click the images to explore higher-resolution versions.
France is the world’s 7th largest economy and second-most-populous country in the EU with 65 million people. But a staggering one-fifth of the French population lives in Paris and its surrounding metro—the most populous urban area in Europe.
Many residents in the Paris metropolitan area are employed in the service sector, which makes up one-third of France’s $2.78 trillion gross domestic product.
Unlike France, Germany has many dense cities and regions, with Berlin, Munich, Stuttgart, and Cologne all having over a million residents. Berlin is the most populated at 3.5 million residents in the city proper, and 6 million in the wider urban area.
That said, the relatively recent reunification of West and East Germany in 1991 meant that post-WWII growth was mostly concentrated in West Germany (and West Berlin).
Italy and Chile: Coast to Coast
In Italy, another phenomenon affects population density and urban development—a sprawling coastline.
Despite having a large population of 59 million and large metropolitan areas throughout, Italy’s population spikes are closer to the water.
The port cities of Genoa, Napoli, and Palermo all have large spikes relative to the rest of the country, as does the capital, Rome. Despite its city center located 15 miles inland from the sea, it extends to the shore through the district of Ostia, where the ancient port of Rome existed.
Meanwhile in Chile, stuck between the Andes to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west, population spikes corroborate with its many port towns and cities.
However, the country is more concentrated than Italy, with 40% of its residents congregating around the capital of Santiago.
Turkey and Canada: Marred by Mountains and Climes
Though Chile has difficulties with terrain, it is relatively consistent. Other countries have to attempt to settle many different climes—regions defined by their climates.
Mountains to the south and east, a large, semi-arid plateau, and even a small desert leave few centers of urban growth in Türkiye.
Predictably, further west, as the elevation comes down to the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, population spikes begin to heighten. The largest of course is the economic and cultural hub of Istanbul, though the capital Ankara is also prominent with more than 5 million residents.
In Canada, the Rocky Mountains to the west and freezing cold temperatures in the center and north account for the large country’s relative emptiness.
Though population spikes in Western Canada are growing rapidly, highly populous urban centers are noticeably concentrated along the St. Lawrence River, with the Greater Toronto Area accounting for more than one-sixth of the country’s 39 million people.
Increasing Urbanization
According to the World Bank, more than half of the world’s population currently lives in cities, and that trend is only growing.
By 2050, 7 out of 10 people are projected to live in cities. This congregation makes cities a beehive of productivity and innovation—with more than 80% of the world’s GDP being generated at these population centers.
It’s in this context that mapping and studying urban development becomes all the more important, particularly as policymakers try their hand at sustainable urban planning.
As Teo puts it:
“By showing where people are (and are not), they show us where political and economic power is concentrated, and perhaps where and who our governments represent.”
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