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physical object > naked eye object > naked eye star > alpha Centauri
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alpha Centauri comparison table
Subject has right ascension has declination has spectral type is part of has surface temperature is an instance of has V magnitude has been observ has color has symbol has B-V magnitude has distance has abundance has period is usually part of has proper motion is a kind of has apparent magnitude has synonym has definition has luminosity class has number of star
binary star    greater than 1000 Kelvin       half the stars in the solar neighborhood are members of star systems   star system  A system of two stars orbiting around a common center of gravity. Visual binaries are those whose components can be resolved telescopically (i.e., angular separation > 0'.5) and which have detectable orbital motion. Astrometric binaries are those whose dual nature can be deduced from their variable proper motion; spectroscopic binaries, those whose dual nature can be deduced from their variable radial velocity. At least half of the stars in the solar neighborhood are members of binary (or multiple) systems. (See photometric binaries; optical pairs.) 2
dwarf    greater than 1000 Kelvin    d      star main sequence starStar with mass equal to or less than that of the sun. More generally, any star on or below the main sequence in the Hertzprung-Russell diagram.V 
G star  cooler than G2 5000 to 6000 K   yellowish       late star  Yellowish star in which the H and K lines of Ca II have become dominant and in which a tremendous profusion of spectral lines of both neutral and ionized metals, particularly iron, begins to show. The Balmer lines of hydrogen are still recognizable. Examples are the Sun and Capella.  
naked eye star   Milky Waygreater than 1000 Kelvin  for many centuries      asterism naked eye objectbrighter than 5 A star visible without visual aids  
alpha Centauri14 39 36.2-60 50 07G2VMilky Way5000 to 6000 Knaked eye star-0.01for many centuriesyellowishd0.714.35 light-yearshalf the stars in the solar neighborhood are members of star systems80 yearsasterism3'.68 per year brighter than 5HR 5459A binary star whose components have G2 V and K5 V spectral types. The nearest star system to the Sun and the third brightest star in the night sky.V2

Next binary starastrometric binary    Upbinary star, dwarf, G star, naked eye star    Previous binary star17 Leporis