Exciting news from the cosmos! Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our sun, is believed to have not just one, but potentially two elusive planets orbiting it. Nestled in the Centaurus constellation, visible only from the southern hemisphere, Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf star that's too faint to see with the naked eye. However, its neighbor, Alpha Centauri—the brightest star in Centaurus and the third brightest in the night sky—draws our attention with its two companion stars, Alpha Centauri A and B, resulting in a unique three-star solar system.

Could Alpha Centauri Hide Planets?

For astronomers on the hunt for new worlds, Alpha Centauri is the ultimate prize, located a mere 4.37 light-years from Earth. Its proximity makes it a perfect candidate for advanced observational techniques, such as astrometry and direct infrared imaging via the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). A recent study featured in the Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society underscores the JWST’s upcoming observations of Alpha Centauri, scheduled for February 2025. While no planets were detected in initial scans, tantalizing hints suggest that hidden worlds could still be lurking nearby.

The Search for Gas Giants

According to the new research, JWST’s Mid-InfraRed Instrument is capable of detecting gas giants like Jupiter if they exist out to twice the Earth-sun distance from Alpha Centauri A. However, hunting for planets in a binary star system presents unique challenges. With light pollution from two bright stars complicating visibility, JWST has a specialized coronagraph that mimics an eclipse, allowing it to focus better on the surrounding areas. Yet, as Alpha Centauri A is around five billion years old, any planets nearby would likely be cold and dim, making their detection even trickier. Despite this, astronomers are optimistic, labeling Alpha Centauri as a “challenging yet exceptional” target for exoplanet exploration.

Discoveries at Proxima Centauri

Astronomical advancements haven’t overlooked Proxima Centauri either! Back in 2016, scientists discovered Proxima Centauri b, an exoplanet situated in its