The Russian Federal Space Agency has just released a mind-boggling animation that shows how the planet’s horizons will appear if other celestial bodies replaced the sun. The first star you’ll see is Alpha Centauri, the nearest visible sun to our own, and one of the brightest in the southern night sky. Located 4.3 light-years away, nearly 300,000 times the distance from the Earth to the sun, a double-star system would appear in our skies if it replaced the sun. It orbits a common center of gravity every 80 years with its companion, Alpha Centauri B. Continue reading for the video and more information.
“Sirius meanwhile is the brightest star in the sky, and closes to Earth at 8.6 light years, with a mass double that of our sun. Sirius in the constellation Canis Major the Greater Dog and on planet’s horizon would appear under a blue haze. The animation also reveals Arcturus filling Earth’s skies. Arcturus, a red giant, looks orange to the eye. It is the fourth brightest star in the sky, and is currently in the later stages of life. Vega, meanwhile, is about the same size as our sun but brighter and hotter. The final star to be shown is Polaris, also known as the North Star. It is located on the handle tip of the Little Dipper,” according to The Daily Mail.
