Question

_________ is the second nearest star from the Earth.
A. Pole star
B. Sun
C. Alpha Centauri
D. Alpha Persei.

Answer 1

Hint: At first students must know how the distance is calculated, now students have to look at the surveys done by astronomers to see that after the sun which is the nearest star from the earth.

Complete step by step answer:
We must know how the distance in space is calculated, so astronomers to calculate the distance of objects in space use a method that is known as stellar parallax or the trigonometric parallax method. In this process the astronomers simply measure an object’s apparent movement in space compared to another object’s movement as a background when the earth revolves around the sun.
According to the space surveys done, we know that the nearest star from the earth is the sun, and then the second nearest star is the Alpha Centauri. And it is at a distance of 4.3 light years away from the earth.
So, option C is the correct option.

Additional Information:
Apart from the Alpha Centauri, there are many stars that are in space and near to earth, let us see the names of those stars according to descending order of their distances, So the name of the stars are as follows,
Barnard’s star
Luhman 16
Wise 0855-0714
Wolf 359
Lalande 21185
Sirius
Luyten 726-8
Ross 154
Ross 248
Epsilon Eridani
Lacaille 9352
Ross 128
EZ aquarii
61 Cygni
Procyon
Apart from these are many more stars.

Note:
Students must know what is the name of the process that helps in calculating the distance of some object space and they also must know how the process is done. They must keep a knowledge of at least ten stars in their ascending order of distance from earth to solve this question.