Alpha Centauri

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/alpha-centauri

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the star system designation?Alpha Centauri (α Centauri)
2. What is the closest star distance?Proxima Centauri is 4.24 light-years from the Sun
3. What is Alpha Centauri and why is it special?Alpha Centauri is the star system closest to our Sun. It has three stars and is one of the brightest points of light in the night sky.
4. Who are the stars that make up Alpha Centauri?Alpha Centauri A and B are a pair that orbit each other, and Proxima Centauri is a smaller red dwarf that is actually the closest star to us.

Barycenter: The common center of mass around which two or more celestial bodies orbit.
Red Dwarf: A small, cool, low-mass star, the most common type of star in the Milky Way.
Exoplanet: A planet that orbits a star outside of our own solar system.
Stellar Flares: Sudden, intense bursts of radiation and particles from the surface of a star.