ALPHA CENTAURI
Alpha Centauri is the brightest star system in the southern constellation of Centaurus, and is the fourth brightest star in the sky, with a total visual magnitude of -0.01. It is too far south to be visible in most of the northern hemisphere. It is also, with Proxima Centauri, the closest star system to Earth, at 4.2–4.4 light-years. That makes it a logical choice as "first port of call" for science fiction speculation about space travel.
Alpha Centauri, to many, in reality, is a tiny little pinprick of light that can be seen in the night sky from Earth. It's often accompanied by a whole bunch of other little pinpricks of light in the vast blackness of night so it's a little difficult to distinguish from the rest of them, unless of course you spend several years going to fancy and expensive places that teach you how to distinguish one little pinprick of light from another.
If you were to talk to an astronomer about Alpha Centauri, you would find that that particular pinprick of light is actually a three star system, a trinary system if you will. Thus proving that 10 years of college can teach you something, even if it's massively trivial.
The Alpha Centauri system has two roughly Sun-like stars and one small dim red star better known as Alpha Proxima. The stars of the Alpha Centauri system are the three closest to Earth (other than the Sun) at about four light years away.
Could there be life there? No one has even found a planet there yet so it's too early to tell.
Let's hope that if there is intelligent life there, they have a good sense of humour. Remember, our broadcasts of the Spice Girls will reach Alpha Centauri in only three short years.
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