Astronomers measure the closest star to the Sun

2003/01/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Astronomia

The closest star to the Sun is the Proxima Centauri, it is 4.2 light-years away and is a very small star, seven times smaller than the Sun. Next to the double star Centauri forms a triple star system located south of the constellation of the Centauro.

So far, measuring the size of stars as small as the Proxima Centauro has been virtually impossible, since most have a very weak light and there was no adequate technology. To measure the size of the Proxima Centauri star, the VTL interferometer of the Paranal observatory has been used. The interferometer combines data from the four existing telescopes at the observatory to obtain images with a much higher resolution.

For this it is essential that the four telescopes observe at the same time in the same place. A mathematical method used for the study of fluids was subsequently applied. For astronomers it is very interesting to measure the size of small stars, since it serves them to study matter in extreme conditions.