what is the closest neighboring star to our sun?

Answer 1

Proxima Centauri, 4.2 light years distant

Answer 2

Technically it is Proxima Centauri, the faint red dwarf companion to the bright star Alpha Centauri. But it isn't that much closer than Alpha Centauri itself, and you need a telescope just to see it because it is a small dim star, much smaller than the Sun, while Alpha Centauri is about the same brightness and size as the Sun. Alpha Centauri is the brightest star in the southern constellation of Centaurus the Centaur, and it is never visible from latitudes more than 29 degrees north of the equator.