How far away is the closest star?
Gaia will tell you it's the sun, but let's take a look at the NEXT closest star…
[just in case]
PROXIMA CENTAURI
(Latin, meaning nearest [star] of Centaurus), or Alpha Centauri C, is a red dwarf,
a small low-mass star, about 4.244 light-years (1.301 pc) from the Sun in the constellation of Centaurus.
It was discovered in 1915 by Robert Innes and is the nearest-known star to the Sun.
With an apparent magnitude of 11.05, it is too faint to be seen with the naked eye.
With high likelihood, Proxima Centauri forms a third component of the Alpha Centauri system, currently with a separation of about 12,950 AU (1.94 trillion km) and an orbital period of 550,000 years. At present Proxima is 2.18° to the southwest of Alpha Centauri.[19]
Because of Proxima Centauri's proximity to Earth, its angular diameter can be measured directly.
The star is about 1/7th the actual diameter of the Sun. It has a mass about an 8th of the Sun's mass, and its average density is about 33 times that of the Sun.
Although it has a very low average luminosity, Proxima is a flare star that undergoes (("random?")) dramatic increases in brightness because of magnetic activity. The star's magnetic field is created by convection throughout the stellar body, and the resulting flare activity generates a total X-ray emission similar to that produced by the Sun. The mixing of the fuel at Proxima Centauri's core through convection and its relatively low energy-production rate mean that it will be a main-sequence star for another four trillion years, or nearly 300 times the current age of the universe.
Proxima Centauri
Primary Alpha Centauri AB
Companion Proxima Centauri
Period (P) 547000+6600
−4000 yr
Semi-major axis (a) 8700+700
−400 AU
Eccentricity (e) 0.50+0.08
−0.09
Inclination (i) 107.6+1.8
−2.0°
Longitude of the node (Ω) 126±5°
Periastron epoch (T) +283+59
−41
Argument of periastron (ω)
(secondary) 72.3+8.7
−6.6°
Details
Mass 0.1221±0.0022[8] M☉
Radius 0.1542±0.0045[8] R☉
Luminosity (bolometric) 0.0017[11] L☉
Luminosity (visual, LV) 0.00005[nb 1] L☉
Surface gravity (log g) 5.20±0.23[12] cgs
Temperature 3042±117[12] K
Metallicity [Fe/H] 0.21[13] dex
Rotation 82.6±0.1[14] days
Rotational velocity (v sin i) < 0.1[14] km/s
Age 4.85
>YOU HAVE MORE THAN YOU KNOW.
WATCH THIS.
ATLEAST 2 SHILLS WILL ATTACK THIS POST SAYING 'NOTHING TO SEE HERE'
but if you follow your spirit,
THE TRUTH IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU.