MCQ Detailed View

Proxima Centauri is the closest known star to our solar system, located in the Alpha Centauri star system. Its distance from Earth is about 4.2 light years. A light year is a unit of measurement that represents the distance light travels in one year, which is roughly 9.46 trillion kilometers (5.88 trillion miles). This means the light we see from Proxima Centauri today actually left the star 4.2 years ago.

Proxima Centauri is classified as a red dwarf star. It is smaller, cooler, and less luminous than our Sun, which is why it cannot be observed without a telescope. Despite being faint, it attracts great scientific interest because it is our nearest stellar neighbor. In 2016, scientists discovered a planet orbiting it, named Proxima b, which lies in the star’s habitable zone—a region where conditions may allow liquid water to exist. This discovery raised questions about the possibility of extraterrestrial life.

Among the options given, 4.2 light years is the correct answer. The other choices (3.2, 2.4, and 1.5 light years) are incorrect because no other star system exists that close to Earth.

Astronomers measure such distances using techniques like stellar parallax, which involves observing the apparent shift of a nearby star’s position against distant stars as Earth orbits the Sun. Such methods help scientists map the universe and understand our cosmic neighborhood.

Although Proxima Centauri is our closest neighbor, reaching it with current spacecraft technology would take tens of thousands of years. However, advanced projects like Breakthrough Starshot are exploring new methods to potentially send tiny spacecraft to Proxima Centauri within decades.

In summary, the distance of Proxima Centauri from Earth is 4.2 light years, making it an important topic in Everyday Science and astronomy studies.