what's the second closest star to us?

Answer 1

At the moment (for the last 35,000 years and for a further 9,000 years or so) Proxima Centauri at 4.22 light years away.

Studies of the proper motion of stars indicate that there are occasional changes in which star is nearest us, after Sol. Due to rotation of the Sun and its neighbours in the Orion Arm of the Milky Way in orbits taking 225-250 million years to complete.

In about 9,800 years time, Barnard's Star, currenty 5th nearest at 5.96 light years away, will have become the second closest star to us and be about 3.8 light years away.

Within the next 1.4 million years Gliese 710 will come as close to our solar system as 1.1 light years away and this is anticipated to cause increased cometary activity in the Oort Cloud. It is presently 63 light years away in the constellation Serpens Cauda and of magnitude 9.66.

At closest approach it will be a first-magnitude star about as bright as Antares.

All three of these stars (Proxima, Barnard's and Gliese 710) are red dwarfs. None are as yet known to have any exoplanets around them. All are presently invisible to the naked eye.

Answer 2

Aside from the three stars of the Alpha Centauri star system, Barnards Star is the second closet known star to us. It's a red dwarf some 140,000 miles across and a mass about .16 Solar masses some 5.9 light years away. In about 8,000 years it will be the closest star to us, even nearer than Alpha Centauri because it's moving towards us at a very high velocity of more than 100 miles per second. It shines about about 9th magnitude in the constellation Ophiuchus, near the boundry with Hercules.

Answer 3

Of course the first closest star is the sun.

The second closest is Proxima Centauri. "The closest star to our our own solar system will not always be closest, but it will be a long time before that happens. Proxima Centauri is the third star in the Alpha Centauri star system, also known as Alpha Centauri C."

The top ten closest stars outside our solar system are listed here. http://space.about.com/od/stars/tp/closeststars.htm

Answer 4

The closest star is the sun. Second closest would be Alpha Centauri.

Answer 5

Probably Barnard's Star, about 5.9 LY away in the constellation Ophiucus.

Proxima is the closest, you might say Alpha Centauri binaries are the second closest, but all three stars are gravitationally bound, making them one star system.

Answer 6

The second closest is a Greek fella named Alpha Centauri and his nearby cousins. You're interested in space and the universe, Paula? So am I!

Answer 7

Alpha Centauri

Answer 8

Proxima Centauri is the next closest.
Alpha Centauri is the primary star in that triple system but it's at 4.37 light years and Proxima is closer at 4.22 light years.