When did Proxima Centauri become the closest star?

Question

All thru childhood (Im 44 now) I heard Alpha Centauri was the nearest star at 4.7 lightyears away. In reading someone elses question, it seems common knowledge that Proxima Centauri is the closest at 4.22 light years. I'm just curious how something like this 'changes' with time.

Its not reasonable to believe that Proxima Centauri was discovered later. Did our method of calculating these distances improve by that large a margin? Or is there another reason?

Answer 1

i'm about the same age as you, and the figure i always heard was 4.3 light years. do you have a reference for 4.7 light years? to travel half a light year in 30 years is not realistic.

the alpha centauri system has been the closest system to us for a million years or so.

Answer 2

Proxima Centauri is also known as Alpha Centauri C - part of the alpha centauri system.

Answer 3

This is a grouping of 3 stars about 4 light years away Proxima is the closest one but not by much.

Answer 4

R.T.Innes in 1915 discovered that 'Proxima Centauri' has parallax 0.762" (as against 0.751" for 'Alpha Centauri') & annual proper motion 3.85" (3.68" for'Alpha Centauri') and hence it is a different star system of apparent magnitude 10.7 (Absolute magnitude +15.1), separated by a trillion miles (1/6 light year) from 'Alpha Centauri'.

There is a weak evidence that it might be going around 'Alpha Centauri' in an orbital period of 1/2 million years.