A planet has been identified orbiting the Alpha Centauri system, Earth’s nearest stellar neighbor at just 4 light-years away. The discovery, published in *The Astrophysical Journal Letters*, stems from an international research team led by Aniket Sanghi of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), utilizing data and imagery from the James Webb Space Telescope.
Alpha Centauri comprises two Sun-like stars—Alpha Centauri A and B—and the red dwarf Proxima Centauri. Together, they appear as a single point of light to the naked eye, ranking as the third-brightest star in Earth’s sky.
While three planets were previously confirmed in this system, Webb’s observations now suggest a fourth. Unlike its counterparts, this candidate planet lies within the habitable zone—positioned at a distance suitable for liquid surface water. However, researchers caution it is likely a gas giant without a solid surface.
Further observations are required for verification. “If confirmed,” Sanghi stated, “this potential planet in Webb’s imagery of Alpha Centauri A would mark a milestone in exoplanet imaging.” He emphasized it would be the closest directly observed planet to its host star to date, adding, “Its temperature and age closely mirror those of gas giants in our Solar System, and it is the nearest such world to Earth.”