ALPHA CENTAURI
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	Common Name: Alpha Centauri Other Names: Rigil Kentaurus, Toliman, Bungula RA: 14 39 36.5 Dec -60 50 02.3 Constellation: Centaurus Distance: 4.39 light years Magnitude: -0.27 Telescope: Meade LX200GPS 14" Camera: Canon 300D Filters: nil Exposure: Date: 2005 Where: Tenby Observatory, Coonabarabran Lat: -31 16 35.05 , Long 149 11 33.99 E, Elevation 547metres Notes: Alpha centauri appears as the 3rd brightest star in the night sky after Sirius & Canopus. It is situated in the constellation of Centaurus and is the bottom pointer of the Souther Cross. Alpha Centauri is a triple star system. The 2 main stars Alpha Centauri A & Alpha Centauri B are not resolved by the naked eye with a separation of 19 arcseconds. The 3rd star, Proxima Centauri, is 2 degrees away from this pair and is the closest star to our sun at 4.22 light years away. The system is 5 to 6 billion years old, metallicity 230% of the Sun. The main stars orbit a common centre of gravity every 80 years. The orbit of Alpha Centauri B ranges from 11.2 to 35.6 AU. Proxima is 13000 AU distant from the pair. There are no known planets to date in this system. Alpha Centauri A is slightly larger than the Sun (1.1 solar masses)and is G2V spectral class. Its luminosity is 1.5 times that of the Sun. Its colour is whitish yellow. Alpha Centauri B is slightly smaller than the Sun (0.9 solar masses) is spectral class K1V. Its luminosity is 0.5 times that of the sun. Its colour is yellowy orange. Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf at a twelfth the size of the Sun , spectral class M5.5 Ve. It is 0.00006 times luminous as the Sun. .