Cosmic Scale
Alpha Centauri A
Yellow star · 4.37 light-years
How big is Alpha Centauri A?
Alpha Centauri A is about 1,694,000 km across.
See Alpha Centauri A in 3D, at true scale
Alpha Centauri A is the closest star to the Sun that is genuinely Sun-like: same type, slightly larger and brighter, and about the same age. If any star's planets get visited first, they will probably be these.
At a glance
| Diameter | 1,694,000 km |
|---|---|
| Mass | 2.15 × 10³⁰ kg |
| Diameter compared with Earth | 133 × Earth |
| Distance | 4.37 light-years |
| Surface | 5,790 K |
| Brightness | 1.5 Suns |
| Type | Yellow dwarf, like the Sun |
Good to know
- The system has three stars: A, B, and distant little Proxima.
- A candidate planet in its habitable zone was reported in 2021 and is still being checked.
- Seen from there, our Sun would be a modest star in the constellation Cassiopeia.