Name: Maria
Status: N/A
Age: N/A
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: Around 1999
Question:
I am a 6th grade student at University Park Elementary School. In
University Park, Maryland. In science class lately, our 5th/6th grade
combination class has been puzzling over the question of "What is the
closest star to Earth?" my science teacher is taking a course in
astronomy and HER teacher said it was some weird lons....well, I can't
quite remember but it was some weird long name composed of 2 words ~K)TB2'8d
The 2 words started with a "p" and an "s". But my teacher read in a book thetat
it was something different. Please answer our question.
Replies:
echnically, the sun is the closest star to the earth. It is approx.
8 light minutes away from the earth. This means it would take light
8 minutes to travel the distance.
The other star you are referring to is Alpha Centauri and is 4.3 light
YEARS away. I hope this settles the debate.
Unknown
Update - September 2004
The child is referring to Proxima Centauri at 4.21 Light Years. Not Alpha
Centauri or Rigil Kentaurus Alpha, both are at 4.3 Light Years from Earth.
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