@holvek: Proxima Centauri b is the closest known exoplanet to our Solar System, located just 4.24 light-years away in the constellation of Centaurus. It orbits the parent star Proxima Centauri, a faint and cool red dwarf with a mass only 12% of our Sun's and less than 0.15% of its visible luminosity. The age of this stellar system is estimated at around 4.8 billion years, making it slightly older than our own. The planet itself is a rocky world with a mass of about 1.055 Earths. To receive enough warmth from its dim sun, it orbits extremely close to it. Proxima b is located just 7 million kilometers from its star (20 times closer than Earth is to the Sun), meaning a full year there lasts a mere 11.2 Earth days. This extreme proximity has resulted in tidal locking, meaning the planet always faces its star with the same side, trapping one half in eternal day and the other in perpetual night. The greatest mystery surrounding Proxima b is its atmosphere and potential habitability. While it sits firmly within the habitable zone, where liquid water could theoretically exist, its host star is highly active and prone to flaring. It regularly bombards the planet with intense X-ray and ultraviolet radiation. Without a powerful magnetic field, this harsh stellar wind would have stripped away the atmosphere and evaporated any water over hundreds of millions of years, likely leaving behind a lifeless, radiation-blasted rock. #astrophysics #facts #universe #sciencefacts

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Thursday 27 August 2026 09:20:13 GMT