Proxima Centauri

Distance rank: by HYG distance it belongs to the nearest star system to the Sun (stars within 20 ly).

Red dwarf (class M main sequence): cooler and dimmer than the Sun.

Why it matters

From India (8°–34° N): only rises from southern India; it never clears the horizon from Srinagar.

Light-time: the light you see left it about 4.2 years ago.

Sources

1. HYG Database v4.1 (D. Nash, astronexus), CC BY-SA 4.0: stars within 20 ly, derived list
2. HYG Database v4.1 (Nash), CC BY-SA 4.0
3. IAU, The Constellations (88 official names and abbreviations)

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