Beschreibung:
As our closest stellar companion and composed of two Sun-like stars and a third small dwarf star, Alpha Centauri is an ideal testing ground of astrophysical models and has played a central role in the history and development of modern astronomy-from the first guesses at stellar distances to understanding how our own star, the Sun, might have evolved. It is also the host of the nearest known exoplanet, an ultra-hot, Earth-like planet recently discovered.
Discovery, Dynamics, Distance and Place.- Stellar Properties and the Making of Planets: Theories and Observations.- What the Future Holds.- Appendix I: The Magnitude Scale and Stellar Classification.- Appendix II: Stellar Motion and Closest Approach.- Appendix III: The Orbit and Location of a Cen B.