History UsefulNotes / LocalStars

Located in Centaurus, this is the closest star to us [[note]]hence the name "proxima", which means near in Latin[[/note]]. A member of the triple system of Alpha Centauri (its systematic name is Alpha Centauri C) but far enough from the two larger members (about 0.21 ly) to be considered a separate star system for space travelers. It takes over half a ''million'' years to orbit the other two stars, and at this moment is about 25,000 years away from being on the "far" side of the other two relative to the Sun, at which point they will become the closest stars to the Sun.[[note]]Technically Alpha Centauri A and B will then alternate being the closest star to the Sun every 80 years as they orbit each other.[[/note]] Despite being the closest star to the Solar system, it (like all red dwarfs) is too dim to be seen with the naked eye from Earth. From a planet orbiting Alpha Centauri A or B, it would appear as an unremarkable fifth-magnitude star. As seen from Proxima Centauri, the binary stars of Alpha Centauri A and B would usually be resolvable as two distinct stars, with each being brighter than Venus in our own night sky. Other than the trinary stars, the brightest star as seen from the Proximan system is Sirius, just as it is in the Solar system.

Located in Centaurus, this is the closest star to us [[note]]this is literally what "proxima" means[[/note]]. A member of the triple system of Alpha Centauri (its systematic name is Alpha Centauri C) but far enough from the two larger members (about 0.21 ly) to be considered a separate star system for space travelers. It takes over half a ''million'' years to orbit the other two stars, and at this moment is about 25,000 years away from being on the "far" side of the other two relative to the Sun, at which point they will become the closest stars to the Sun.[[note]]Technically Alpha Centauri A and B will then alternate being the closest star to the Sun every 80 years as they orbit each other.[[/note]] Despite being the closest star to the Solar system, it (like all red dwarfs) is too dim to be seen with the naked eye from Earth. From a planet orbiting Alpha Centauri A or B, it would appear as an unremarkable fifth-magnitude star. As seen from Proxima Centauri, the binary stars of Alpha Centauri A and B would usually be resolvable as two distinct stars, with each being brighter than Venus in our own night sky. Other than the trinary stars, the brightest star as seen from the Proximan system is Sirius, just as it is in the Solar system.

** The Franz Joseph ''Star Fleet Technical Manual'', one of the few canonical Trek supplements published in the 1970s, shows a flag for Alpha Centauri that features a {{centaur|s}}.

* Setting of, naturally, ''VideoGame/SidMeiersAlphaCentauri.'' In the universe of the game, two planets are known to orbit Alpha Centauri A: a Mercury-like inner planet named Eurytion, and the outer, Earth-like planet Chiron (known in game simply as "Planet"). Chiron is fittingly named for the greatest of the mythical Centaurs and one of the only two good ones (and is thus a likely name for any ''actual'' Earth-like planet in the system), and has two moons (Nessus and Pholus), also named after Centaurs (Pholus being the other good and wise Centaur, Nessus being the most prominent nasty one). Alpha Centauri B, which does not, in the game, appear to have any planets of its own, is known by the locals as "Hercules" (who killed many Centaurs) as it greatly affects Chiron's native life when it enters perihelion.

* In ''Series/Supergirl2015'' the planet Maaldoria, center of the galactic slave trade, orbits Acturus. This means that Kryptonians and Daxamites have no powers there as Arcturus is a red sun.

* In ''Literature/TheExpanse'' and its [[Series/TheExpanse live-action adaptation]], one of Tau Ceti's planets is the intented destination of the {{Generation Ship|s}} LDSS ''Nauvoo'', though outside circumstances ultimately prevent that voyage from taking place.

* In the original ''Series/{{Star Trek|The Original Series}} episode "And The Children Shall Lead", this system is the home of Gorgan, an evil EnergyBeing.

The closest solitary Sun-like star to us, so appears a lot in fiction. Can be seen in the northern sky as a third-magnitude star – it's clearly visible but you'll probably only notice it specifically if you're looking for it. It's only about half as luminous as the Sun, despite being in the same spectral class - Tau Ceti is a [=G9V=], Sol is a [=G2V=]. Tau Ceti also has only about 30% as high a concentration of heavy elements as the sun does; presumably the planets orbiting it are equally poor in heavy elements.

Four "super-earth" sized planets have been confirmed to orbit this star. Two of them are too close for liquid water to exist on their surfaces, and one of them is too far away. The planet in between, Tau Ceti e, is a 4-earth-mass world that ''might'' be at the right distance for liquid water to exist; but more likely it's a tad too close and would be more like Venus. Note, though, that most of our current evidence suggests that the Tau Ceti planets are low-density. That is, there are no rocky surfaces: they are at best waterworlds (in the biozone), or worse, mini-neptunes (out of the biozone). One aspect of Tau Ceti that interestingly gets little mention in fiction is the fact that it's surrounded by a real-life AsteroidThicket -- a belt of rocky and icy debris, similar to our own solar system's Kuiper Belt, but ten times denser. It's been suggested its presence means the planets of Tau Ceti would suffer more impacts than Earth, putting further doubts on the possibility of life there.

Triple system with a main orange ([=K1V=]), a white dwarf (DA) and red dwarf ([=M5V=]). A planet was discovered in 2018 orbiting its main star, appropiately nicknamed "[[Franchise/StarTrek Vulcan]]". However unlike its fictional counterpart it's (yet another) Super Earth that receives even more stellar flux than Mercury in the Sol System, thus even if it was a rocky planet would be unhabitable for life as we know it. According to some astronomers, however, [[https://arxiv.org/abs/2302.10310 to be doubtful]].

* In ''Franchise/StarTrek'', Spock's homeworld of Vulcan orbits 40 Eridani A, as does [[Film/StarTrek2009 Delta Vega]] and [[Recap/StarTrekTheAnimatedSeriesS1E2Yesteryear at least one gas giant]]. Creator/GeneRoddenberry considered placing Vulcan in the Epsilon Eridani system instead, but decided against it because that star was [[ShownTheirWork too young to have habitable planets yet]].

Four "super-earth" sized planets have been confirmed to orbit this star. Two of them are too close for liquid water to exist on their surfaces, and one of them is too far away. The planet in between, Tau Ceti e, is a 4-earth-mass world that ''might'' be at the right distance for liquid water to exist; but more likley it's a tad too close and would be more like Venus. Note, though, that most of our current evidence suggests that the Tau Ceti planets are low-density. That is, there are no rocky surfaces: they are at best waterworlds (in the biozone), or worse, mini-neptunes (out of the biozone). One aspect of Tau Ceti that interestingly gets little mention in fiction is the fact that it's surrounded by a real-life AsteroidThicket-- a belt of rocky and icy debris, similar to our own solar system's Kuiper Belt, but ten times denser. It's been suggested its presence means the planets of Tau Ceti would suffer more impacts than Earth, putting further doubts on the possibility of life there.

* Setting of the ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episode "Spock's Brain", which depicts the system as having nine planets total, ''three'' of which are inhabited by sentient beings - one with a technology level equivalent to Earth in the year 1485, one with a technology level equivalent to Earth in the year 2030, without elaborating what that entails (although they don't seem able to build interstellar craft), and one pre-industrial, glaciated planet which turned out to be AfterTheEnd.

Another flaring red dwarf, this one in Ursa Major. It's flares are very mild compared with other flare stars, and as such it has not received an official variable star designation.[[note]]It is, however, classified as a "BY Draconis" type of variable star, which are stars that change brightness as they rotate due to starspots.[[/note]] Lalande 21185 may or may not have planets -- probably not.

Located in Centaurus, this is the closest star to us. A member of the triple system of Alpha Centauri (its systematic name is Alpha Centauri C) but far enough from the two larger members (about 0.21 ly) to be considered a separate star system for space travelers. It takes over half a ''million'' years to orbit the other two stars, and at this moment is about 25,000 years away from being on the "far" side of the other two relative to the Sun, at which point they will become the closest stars to the Sun.[[note]]Technically Alpha Centauri A and B will then alternate being the closest star to the Sun every 80 years as they orbit each other.[[/note]] Despite being the closest star to the Solar system, it (like all red dwarfs) is too dim to be seen with the naked eye from Earth. From a planet orbiting Alpha Centauri A or B, it would appear as an unremarkable fifth-magnitude star. As seen from Proxima Centauri, the binary stars of Alpha Centauri A and B would usually be resolvable as two distinct stars, with each being brighter than Venus in our own night sky. Other than the trinary stars, the brightest star as seen from the Proximan system is Sirius, just as it is in the Solar system.

Unfortunately, the hype from February 2017 seems to have died down as the reality and science started to set in. Like with all red dwarf stars, TRAPPIST-1 is a flare star, and with it, brings many of the usual complications: tidally-locked planets being bombarded with flare radiation, likely stripping them of their atmospheres and water and thus, making the chances of life unlikely. And in addition to that, despite them being water-rich, at the very least the two innermost planets are thought to have hellish conditions next to which Venus is a vacation spot[[note]]ScienceMarchesOn: The innermost planet at least [[https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.14849 is now considered]] to have very little or no atmosphere to speak of[[/note]], and the two outermost ones are likely too cold to have liquid water on their surfaces, with the fourth planet in distance being the most Earth-like in size and mass and the one that has more hopes of being habitable. It is still a likely place for possible colonization in the future.

Unfortunately, the hype from February 2017 seems to have died down as the reality and science started to set in. Like with all red dwarf stars, TRAPPIST-1 is a flare star, and with it, brings many of the usual complications: tidally-locked planets being bombarded with flare radiation, likely stripping them of their atmospheres and water and thus, making the chances of life unlikely. And in addition to that, despite them being water-rich, at the very least the two innermost planets are thought to have hellish conditions next to which Venus is a vacation spot and the two outermost ones are likely too cold to have liquid water on their surfaces, with the fourth planet in distance being the most Earth-like in size and mass and the one that has more hopes of being habitable. It is still a likely place for possible colonization in the future.

Triple system with a main orange ([=K1V=]), a white dwarf (DA) and red dwarf ([=M5V=]). A planet was discovered in 2018 orbiting its main star, appropiately nicknamed "[[Franchise/StarTrek Vulcan]]". However unlike its fictional counterpart it's (yet another) Super Earth that receives even more stellar flux than Mercury in the Sol System, thus even if it was a rocky planet would be unhabitable for life as we know it.

* The story of ''LightNovel/BodaciousSpacePirates'' is heavily implied, if not stated, to be taking place in Tau Ceti.

* The alien civilization responsible for the events of ''LightNovel/AllYouNeedIsKill'' originates from a planet around one of these stars.