Nearest Stars Distance Comparison (Light Years)
Compare the 10 nearest stars by parallax distance, from Proxima at 4.25 ly to Lacaille at 10.74. Exact light year distances with NASA tables and notes listed.
Visual comparison
All values
Click any row to load it as Entry A.
| Name | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proxima Centauri Nearest star to the Sun. | 4.25 light years | Alpha Centauri C, red dwarf | NASA parallax tables: Proxima 4.2465 ly |
| Alpha Centauri AB Brightest near system. Proxima orbits it. | 4.37 light years | Rigil Kent and Toliman binary | NASA parallax tables: Alpha Centauri 4.37 ly |
| Barnard's Star Fastest proper motion star. | 5.96 light years | Ophiuchus, red dwarf, fast mover | NASA parallax tables: Barnard 5.96 ly |
| Wolf 359 Fifth nearest system. | 7.86 light years | Leo, red dwarf flare star | NASA parallax tables: Wolf 359 7.86 ly |
| Lalande 21185 Brightest northern red dwarf. | 8.31 light years | Ursa Major, red dwarf | NASA parallax tables: Lalande 8.31 ly |
| Sirius AB Brightest star in night sky. | 8.58 light years | Canis Major, brightest night star | NASA parallax tables: Sirius 8.58 ly |
| Ross 154 Young active flare star. | 9.68 light years | Sagittarius, red dwarf flare star | NASA parallax tables: Ross 154 9.68 ly |
| Ross 248 Will be nearest in 36,000 years. | 10.32 light years | Andromeda, red dwarf | NASA parallax tables: Ross 248 10.32 ly |
| Epsilon Eridani Young sun with debris rings. | 10.5 light years | Eridanus, sunlike with disk | NASA parallax tables: Epsilon Eridani 10.5 ly |
| Lacaille 9352 Smallest row here. | 10.74 light years | Piscis Austrinus, red dwarf | NASA parallax tables: Lacaille 9352 10.74 ly |
About this converter
Proxima Centauri sits 4.2465 light years out, about 0.12 clear of Alpha Centauri AB at 4.37. Barnard's Star at 5.96, Wolf 359 at 7.86, Lalande at 8.31 and Sirius at 8.58 follow. Ross 154 at 9.68, Ross 248 at 10.32, Epsilon Eridani at 10.5 and Lacaille 9352 at 10.74 close the 10 light year table. Distances here are parallax light years from the Sun. Proxima orbits Alpha Centauri AB, so the top two rows share one triple system. Diameters rank on a separate star page, so sizes stay out here.
How to use it
Pick two stars and a unit in the top row. The three boxes below stay linked. Change any box and the other two update. Try Lacaille against Proxima to see the 2.5 times gap. The bars below scale to Lacaille so Proxima looks short since farther means longer bar here. Switch the unit to parsecs for professional figures. Ratios are exact divisions of the parallax distances.
Systems vs stars splits counting. Proxima and Alpha Centauri AB share one triple system at the top. Parallax error bars run hundredths of a light year, so order past Ross 248 can flip in revisions. Diameters rank on star-diameter-comparison, so this page keeps distances only. Figures follow NASA parallax tables.
FAQ
What is the nearest star?
Proxima Centauri at 4.2465 ly. It orbits Alpha Centauri AB.
How far is Sirius?
8.58 ly. Brightest star in the night sky, sixth nearest system here.
Will the nearest change?
Yes. Ross 248 moves nearest in about 36,000 years on proper motion.
Is this the same as star sizes?
No. Diameters rank elsewhere. This page keeps parallax distances only.
Sources
- NASA parallax tables: Proxima 4.2465; Alpha Centauri 4.37; Barnard 5.96; Wolf 359 7.86; Lalande 8.31; Sirius 8.58; Ross 154 9.68; Ross 248 10.32; Epsilon Eridani 10.5; Lacaille 9352 10.74 ly
Last verified: 2026-10-09 · 10 entries
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