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Proxima Centauri Microlensing Prediction

Proxima Centauri Microlensing Prediction
This diagram shows the upcoming conjunction between the nearest star to our Sun, Proxima Centauri, and a distant background star. Proxima's gravitational field warps the space around it. This gravitational lensing effect distorts space like a funhouse mirror and bends the path of light from the background star. The result is that the apparent position of the star will shift slightly during Proxima Centauri's passage, as seen in the upper right diagram. If an unseen planet is orbiting Proxima Centauri the star's apparent position will be further offset, as seen at lower left.

About the Data

  • Data Description
    Data DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
    Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.
    The image was created from Hubble data from proposal 12985: K. Sahu (STScI), H. Bond (STScI and Pennsylvania State University), J. Anderson (STScI), and M. Dominik (University of St. Andrews)
  • Release Date
    June 3, 2013
  • Science Release
    Rare Stellar Alignment Offers Opportunity to Hunt for Planets
    Read the release
  • Credit
    A. Feild (STScI)

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Compass and Scale Image for Proxima Centauri

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This plot shows the projected motion of the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri (green line) over the next decade, as plotted from Hubble Space Telescope observations. Because of parallax due to Earth's motion around the Sun, the path appears scalloped. Because Proxima Centauri is...

Time-lapse Animation of Proxima Centauri's Proper Motion

Time-Lapse Animation of Proxima Centauri's Proper Motion

This animation is assembled from 10 years of observations of the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to our Sun at 4.2 light-years. Proxima has a relatively large proper motion compared to that of more distant background stars. It moves 3.85 arcseconds per year...

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Last Updated
Mar 28, 2025
Contact
Media

Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov

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