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KX Librae

Gliese 570, Lalande 27173

Orange Star in Libra

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Proper Name	Sometimes referred to as Proxima Librae*
Bayer Designation	None
Flamsteed Number	None
HR (BSC)	5568
HD	131977
Variable Designation	KX Librae
Other Designations	Gliese 570, Lalande 27173
Constellation	Libra
Right Ascension	14h 57m 28s
Declination	-21° 24' 56"
Distance	19.2 light years 5.9 parsecs
Magnitude	Apparent: +5.8 Absolute: +6.9
Spectral Class	K4V orange dwarf
Planets in this system	KX Librae b (HD 131977 b, Gliese 570 Ab), gas giant (unconfirmed, since retracted)
Optimum Visibility	May
Notes	A relatively near neighbour of the Sun at a distance of less than twenty light years, KX Librae is a triple system. Around the central orange star, a binary pair pursues an extremely eccentric orbit. Beyond that pair, the system also harbours a brown dwarf, designated KX Librae D, in a more distant orbit still.

* There are very occasional references to this star by the name of Proxima Librae. As a close neighbour of the Sun within the constellation of Libra, this is a perfectly appropriate name for the star, but its origins are obscure, and it does not seem to be widely accepted as a traditional name for KX Librae.

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