Barnard's Star vs Proxima Centauri
| Property |
Barnard's Star
|
Proxima Centauri
|
| Designation |
N/A |
N/A |
| Constellation |
N/A |
Centaurus |
| Spectral Class |
N/A |
Class M — M-type (Red) |
| Apparent Magnitude |
+9.54 |
+11.01 |
| Absolute Magnitude |
13.24
|
15.45
|
| Distance |
6.0 ly |
4.2 ly |
| Mass |
N/A
|
N/A
|
| Radius |
N/A
|
N/A
|
| Temperature |
N/A
|
N/A
|
| Luminosity |
N/A
|
N/A
|
Key Differences
- ◆ Both are nearby red dwarf stars invisible to the naked eye.
- ◆ Barnard's Star has the highest proper motion of any known star (10.3 arcseconds per year).
- ◆ Proxima Centauri is closer at 4.24 light-years; Barnard's Star is 5.96 light-years away.
- ◆ Proxima Centauri has confirmed exoplanets in the habitable zone; Barnard's Star has only a sub-Earth candidate.
- ◆ Barnard's Star will make its closest approach to the Sun in about 10,000 years.