Researchers announced today that they've discovered an Earth-sized planet orbiting our nearest stellar neighbor, Alpha Centauri.
The planet is too close to the sun to have liquid water, and therefore wouldn't be habitable by humans. But, the researchers think it's likely that the system contains other planets, possibly a super-sized Earth-like planet in the stars' habitable zone.
Here's what you need to know about this star system. You never know, it might be humanity's next home.
The star system is the third brightest star in the night sky when seen from Earth. It is 4.37 light-years from the sun.
Alpha Centauri is the brightest star in the southern constellation of Centaurus.
At the center of this solar system there are two sun-like stars that orbit around a common center. Sunset from a planet orbiting this double-star system might be similar to that on the planet Tatooine in Star Wars.
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