Alpha Centauri A (HIP 71683)
Alpha Centauri A is a yellow main-sequence star in the constellation Centaurus. At 4.4 light years away, it is the 4th brightest star in the Earth's sky, where it shines at an apparent visual magnitude of -0.01. Alpha Centauri A is the primary component of a multiple-star system. The star's age is estimated to be 9.2 billion years but is certainly no less than 8.1 billion years and no greater than 10.2 billion years. The iron abundance of Alpha Centauri A is +0.2 (158.5% of the Sun). It is moving through the Galaxy at a speed of 31.9 km/s relative to the Sun. Its projected Galactic orbit carries it between 23,700 and 33,700 light years from the center of the Galaxy. It will come closest to the Sun 28,000 years from now when it will brighten to magnitude -0.66 from a distance of 3.3 light years.
Sky position: RA 14h 39.7m, Dec -60° 50.4'
