Top 10 Closest Stars to the Earth

Wonder what are the stars closest to planet Earth? Of course, we all have a desire to know the closest of all these twinkling stars from the planet we live in. Well, the star has been defined as a ball which is composed mostly of  hydrogen and helium gas that shines extremely brightly. The star is said to be so massive and the core of stars is considered tremendously dense and hot. Our Sun is also a star and of course is the closest of all. So let’s know what the top 10 stars that are closest to our planet. To make it easier to digest, we’ve actually prepared this list in terms of 10 closest star systems.

Here’s our attempt to put together top 10 of them according to their respective approximate distances (measured in Light Year) from Earth. Let me remind you that: 1 Light Year (LY) equals to 9.4605284 × 1012 kilometers.

10. Epsilon Eridani (Distance from Earth: 10.522 LY)

Epsilon Eridani star

Epsilon Eridani is located in the constellation called Eridanus and is known to be the closest star having planets orbiting around it. Well, apart from being the tenth closest star from Earth, Epsilon is the third closest star that is visible to naked eye. Epsilon Eridani is located approximately 10.522 light years far from Earth.

9. Ross 248 (Distance from Earth: 10.322 LY)

Ross 248 star

Ross 248 is a red dwarf located in the constellation Andromeda and is about 10.322 light years from Earth. Ross 248 is said to move so fast that it will take over the title as the closest star to Earth besides Sun in about 36000 years. However, this star will quickly move away again and again and will give up the title about 9000 years later. Ross 248 is also known as HH Andromedae.

8. Ross 154 (Distance from Earth: 9.6813 LY)

Ross154 star

Actually, Ross 154 appears to be a flare star and is about 9.6813 light years from Earth located in the constellation Sagittarius. This red dwarf Ross 154 is also known as V1216 Sagittarii and also is a close neighbor of Barnard’s Star. Ross 154 can increase its surface brightness by an entire order of magnitudes in a matter of minutes and can again quickly revert to its normal state.

7. Luyten 726-8 (Distance from Earth: 8.7280 LY)

Luyten 726-8 star

Luyten 726-8 is a binary star system and both Luyten 726-8A and Luyten 726-8B were first discovered by Willem Jacob Luyten. These are also red dwarfs and are too faint to be seen with our naked eyes. The distance of Luyten 726-8 from earth is about 8.7280 light years making it the seventh closest star to earth.

6. Sirius (Distance from Earth: 8.5828 LY)

sirus star

Sirius is another binary star system of Sirius A and Sirius B and is located about 8.5828 light years from Earth making it the sixth closest star to Earth. Sirius is also popularly known as Dog Star. Technically speaking, Sirius B is not considered a star but a stellar remnant. Saying more specifically, Sirius B is a white dwarf is a remnant which is left behind when the Sun dies. The combined brightness of Sirius A and Sirius B makes Sirius the brightest star in the sky.

5. Lalande 21185 (Distance from Earth: 8.2905 LY)

Lalande 21185 star

Lalande 21185 is the fifth closest star to Earth and is located in the constellation Ursa Major. This star is a red dwarf which is too faint to be seen with our naked eyes. This star is visible through a small telescope. However Lalande 21185 is situated at a distance of 8.2905 light years from Earth, it’s not likely that our lifetime is enough to travel there.

4. Wolf 359 (Distance from Earth: 7.7825 LY)

Wolf 359 star

Wolf 359 is the fourth closest star from Earth at the distance of about 7.7825 light years. However, Wolf 359 is very close to earth, we can’t see this star with our naked eyes as it is so dim. This faint red dwarf is located in the constellation Leo. Wolf 369 is known to many as the famous battle spot on Star Trek the Next Generation.

3. Barnard’s Star (Distance from Earth: 5.9630 LY)

Barnad's Star

Barnard’s Star is another faint red dwarf located in the constellation Ophiuchus and is the third closest star from earth with the distance of 5.9630 light years. Barnard’s Star was once thought to possibly have planets orbiting around it but later attempts found nothing around.

2. Alpha Centauri (Distance from Earth: 4.3650 LY)

alpha centuria star

The Alpha Centauri is actually a star system composed of three starts namely Alpha Centauri A, Alpha Centauri B and Alpha Centauri C. Both Alpha Centauri A and B are about 4.3650 light years far from Earth while the third star Alpha Centauri C (more commonly known as Proxima Centauri) is actually much closer to Earth. It is about 4.24 light years away from Earth.

1. The Sun (Distance from Earth: 0.000158 LY)

the sun star

Of course, the closest star to our planet Earth is the Sun which lies in the center of our solar system. Sun illuminates the Earth in daytime and also responsible for the glow of Moon in the night. We can’t imagine life in Earth without Sun. 8 minutes and 20 seconds is the time the sunlight takes to reach the earth.

Final Conclusion:

It’s believed that there are almost uncountable stars in the universe. And the stars are the part of many constellations said to be in existence. Above mentioned are the stars that are known to be the top 10 closest stars to Earth. Stars other than the Sun are so far from Earth that the distance is measured in light years. A light year is the distance light travels in a year and the light is known to be the fastest moving stuff in the universe. We can estimate now that how far is the closest star to us. They are way so far that travelling to those stars is only a fiction till the date. Hope, it may interest you to identify the top 10 closest stars to our planet earth.