Nearby Star Hosts Three-Ring Circus

[Swede]

A nearby star, visible with the unaided eye, is ringed with two rocky asteroid belts and an outer icy halo, making it a three-ring cosmic circus. The inner asteroid belt appears to be a virtual twin to the belt in our solar system.

The presence of the separate rings of material around the nearby star, called Epsilon Eridani, suggests unseen planets lurk there, where they confine and shape the rings, say the researchers.

If there were in fact rocky planets within the inner gap between the star and asteroid belt, the worlds would likely reside within the star's habitable zone where temperatures would be such that life could survive.

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/081027-mm-solar-system-twin.html

[htuttle]

1. I believe that's where the Vulcans are supposed to be from

Just a stone's throw away, galactically-speaking. Realistically speaking, that's about 40,000 years or so using today's technology...

[Angleae]

2. I believe Vulcan orbits Epsilon Indi.

It's Babalon 5 that is at Epsilon Eridani

[pokerfan]

3. Just 10.5 ly

[comtec]

4. On the geeky toipic...

Where is Proxima? :)
It seems like every sci-fi series has a proxima colony.. it is simply "close"? :) (as in proximity, and in proximity to what?:) )

[moggie]

5. Proxima Centauri

4.2ly from us, the closest star (well, second closest, after Sol).