Alpha Centauri and Beta Centauri
At the centre of this image of the Centaurus constellation are Alpha Centauri and Beta Centauri, two triple star systems. The brightest stars of both systems orbit near to each other, making them appear as one star. Alpha Centauri is the nearest "star" to Earth except for the Sun. This photograph of the Centaurus constellation was taken at ESO's La Silla Observatory.
Credit:Zdeněk Bardon/ESO
About the Image
Id: | centaurus-ch17-bardon-cc |
Type: | Photographic |
Release date: | 11 September 2017, 13:18 |
Size: | 2942 x 1962 px |
About the Object
Name: | Alpha Centauri, Centaurus Constellation |
Type: | Milky Way : Sky Phenomenon : Night Sky |
Category: | Stars |