his is a star located about 4.2 light-years away from our sun. Its name is composed of Latin words. They mean “nearest star of Centaurus.” (Proxima centauri is part of the Centaurus constellation.) It’s the nearest-known star to the sun. But it's a different type of star. Proxima centauri is a red dwarf — a small, red glowing star that is about 2,800 degrees Celsius (5,000 degrees Fahrenheit) cooler than our sun.