Proxima b Archives

Pole-on views of the orbital positions of Proxima d (small black dot) and b (large black dot) during each enhanced-emission event. The telescope symbol and vertical dotted line indicate the time of inferior conjunction and the observer’s direction. Orbital motion is clockwise. Each configuration is labeled by its BJD. Proxima Centauri is represented by the central orange dot. -- astro-ph.EP

Alpha Centauri, Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Proxima Centauri, Radiation, Space Weather & Heliophysics, Status Report

Star-planet Interaction In The Proxima System

by Keith CowingMay 26, 2026May 26, 2026

(Abridged) We search for evidence of star-planet magnetic interactions in the nearby Proxima Centauri planetary system using high-quality, high-spectral-resolution optical observations.

Artist’s impression of the approach of a swarm towards Proxima b; at this point, a few seconds before closest approach, the swarm could be examining the planet’s nightside for techno- or bioluminescence. (This image is based on the artistic work of Dr. Mark A. Garlick.) -- astro-ph.IM

Alpha Centauri, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cubesats and smallsats, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gaia Mission, Habitable Zones, Interstellar, Missions & Hardware, Proxima Centauri, Status Report

Science From The In Situ Exploration Of Tthe Proxima Centauri System

by Keith CowingApril 23, 2026April 23, 2026

In the future interstellar exploration at near-relativistic speeds will be possible using beamed energy laser propulsion.

The different Solar System bodies and exoplanets this chapter focuses on, and associated missions. Those with a strong PlanetS involvement are shown with an asterisk. -- astro-ph.EP

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

Climates Of Terrestrial Exoplanets And Biosignatures

by Keith CowingJanuary 29, 2026January 29, 2026

Understanding the climates of terrestrial exoplanets and the detectability of biosignatures is an inherently interdisciplinary challenge, requiring the integration of insights from Solar System exploration, exoplanet observations and climate science. […]

This artist’s impression shows a view of the surface of the planet Proxima b orbiting the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the Solar System. © ESO/M. Kornmesser

Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Proxima Centauri

Conclusive Tests For The RISTRETTO Proxima b Exoplanet Explorer

by Keith CowingDecember 10, 2025December 10, 2025

The RISTRETTO project, dedicated to observing Proxima b –the closest exoplanet to the Solar System — is reaching a new milestone: several key components of this high-precision spectrograph have been […]

Left panel: IFU transmission map into the 7 fibers for single orientation, with the trajectory of Proxima b overlaid on top. Right panel: IFU transmission combining 2 exposures with a 30◦ offset. For both plots, we assumed median seeing (0.76") and elevation (43◦ ) conditions, and λ = 840 nm. -- astro-ph.EP

Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Proxima Centauri, Status Report

Simulating RISTRETTO: Proxima b Detectability In Reflected Light

by Keith CowingSeptember 10, 2025September 10, 2025

The characterization of exoplanet atmospheres is one of the key topics in modern astrophysics. To date, transmission spectroscopy has been the primary method used, but upcoming instruments will lay the […]

Left side: RISTRETTO first longtime exposure. Right side: RISTRETTO 6 short-time exposures with the star centered in the off-axis spaxels. -- astro-ph.IM

Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

The RISTRETTO Simulator: Exoplanet Reflected Spectra

by Keith CowingJanuary 6, 2025September 18, 2025

The upcoming Ristretto spectrograph is dedicated to the detection and analysis of exoplanetary atmospheres, with a primary focus on the temperate rocky world Proxima b.

“Hyper-realistic” RGB images of Control at a phase of 40°, generated with PSG GlobES. Clockwise starting from the top left: (a) true color image, without BVLO. Proxima b appears orange because Proxima Centauri is a cool star which emits mostly red light in the visible. In this image, the darkest regions on the planet are oceans, and the lighter regions are ice or clouds. To identify clouds, compare with b. (b) the cloud cover fraction, with high numbers indicating grid cells mostly covered with clouds. (c) false color image of Control with BVLO. The BVLO appear purple because of Qy feature strongly absorbs in the green channel at 1um. (d) same as a, but with BVLO added (Amax = 1). The BVLO fill in the open water regions. To easily see regions of BVLO coverage, compare with purple regions in c. -- astro-ph.EP

Analog Studies, Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Proxima Centauri, Status Report

Detectability Simulations of a NIR Surface Biosignature on Proxima Centauri b with Future Space Observatories

by Keith CowingSeptember 11, 2024September 11, 2024

Telescope missions are currently being designed which will make direct imaging of habitable exoplanets possible in the near future, and studies are needed to quantify the detectability of biosignature features […]

Sketch of the magnetospheric interaction in the starplanet system Proxima - Proxima b. The stellar wind velocity and the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) streamlines (assumed to be radial–see text in Sect. 3) are drawn in green and red, respectively. Note that there are magnetic field lines from the star (yellow circle) that are connected to the exoplanet Proxima b (purple circle). The density distribution is shown as a color scale, normalized to the value of the stellar wind density, ρsw = µmpnsw (see Table 1). The sketch represents a super-Alfvénic case, where the ram pressure of the wind dominates over the stellar wind magnetic field pressure, so a bow shock is formed at the dayside of the planet. The Proxima star is beyond the limits of our simulation domain. -- astro-ph.EP

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Magnetic Fields, Electromagnetism, bioelectricity,, Proxima Centauri, Radiation, Space Weather & Heliophysics, Status Report

MHD Simulations of the Space Weather in Proxima b: Habitability Conditions and Radio Emission

by Keith CowingMay 30, 2024May 30, 2024

The habitability of exoplanets hosted by M-dwarf stars dramatically depends on their space weather. We present 3D magneto-hydrodynamic simulations to characterise the magneto-plasma environment and thus the habitability of the […]

Signal-to-noise of the fiducial planet simulation. The top panel shows two slices of the CCF cube, one in the plane on the sky and one along the velocity axis. The bottom panels show the same two slices separated for clarity with pink dashed lines indicating the expected position of the signal. The region covered by the FPM is greyed-out. The bottom left panel shows the signal-to-noise for the spaxels along spaxel 푥 = 0 for different velocities relative to the exoplanet’s velocity. The bottom right panel shows the signalto-noise of all the spaxels at a Doppler shift equal to the exoplanet’s velocity. The yellow star in the bottom right panel indicates the location of the star. Note that this injected fiducial exoplanet does not represent Proximab. -- astro-ph.EP

Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Proxima Centauri, Status Report

Behind The Mask: Can HARMONI@ELT Detect Biosignatures In The Reflected Light Of Proxima b?

by Keith CowingJanuary 19, 2024January 19, 2024

Proxima b is a rocky exoplanet in the habitable zone of the nearest star system and a key test case in the search for extraterrestrial life.

Proxima Centauri

Exosphere Modeling of Proxima b: A Case Study of Photochemical Escape with a Venus-like Atmosphere

by Keith CowingSeptember 15, 2021

Exoplanets orbiting M-dwarfs within habitable zones are exposed to stellar environments more extreme than that terrestrial planets experience in our Solar System, which can significantly impact the atmospheres of the […]