Thomas Henderson (astronomer)
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Thomas Henderson FRSE FRS FRAS was a Scottish astronomer and mathematician noted for being the first person to measure the distance to Alpha Centauri, the major component of the nearest stellar system to Earth, the first to determine the parallax of a fixed star, and for being the first Astronomer Royal for Scotland.
Thomas Henderson, c.1820s Scottish Astronomer Royal
1 Hillside Crescent, Edinburgh
Memorial to Thomas Henderson at the observatory on Calton Hill
The grave of Alexander James Adie, Greyfriars Kirkyard
Alpha Centauri
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Alpha Centauri is a triple star system in the southern constellation of Centaurus. It consists of three stars: Rigil Kentaurus, Toliman (B) and Proxima Centauri (C). Proxima Centauri is the closest star to the Sun at 4.2465 light-years.
Alpha Centauri AB (left) forms a triple star system with Proxima Centauri, circled in red. The bright star system to the right is Beta Centauri.
View of Alpha Centauri from the Digitized Sky Survey-2
Alpha Centauri A (left) is of the same stellar type G2 as the Sun, while Alpha Centauri B (right) is a K1-type star.
Looking towards the sky around Orion from Alpha Centauri with Sirius near Betelgeuse, Procyon in Gemini, and the Sun in Cassiopeia generated by Celestia.