The Alpha Centauri Star System [1] - [2] - [3] A Three Star System Proxima Centauri is the nearest known star to the Sun - 4.2 light years. The Alpha Centauri pair of orbiting stars is slightly further away at 4.3 light years. All three stars are moving through the galaxy together. This image is made from overlapping Digital Sky Survey (DSS) 1° square fields. Each image contains hundreds of thousands of stars. The size and position of Alpha Centauri A and B are marked according to data from The European Southern Observatory (ESO).