Alpha Centauri is the closest star system to ours and one of the most critical targets in the search for habitable planets. Until now, we knew very little about the possible worlds in this star system, but that is about to change thanks to the TOLIMAN Space Telescope.
What will this telescope do, and when will it be launched into space?

Why Alpha Centauri?
We have talked many times about this system. Its importance lies mainly in that it is the closest star system to the Sun and, therefore, the most promising place to search for habitable planets like Earth.
It is located at a distance of approximately 4.37 light years. It comprises three central stars: Alpha Centauri A, Alpha Centauri B, and Proxima Centauri.
Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B are stars similar to the Sun and form a binary system, orbiting each other around a common center of mass. These stars are slightly larger and more massive than our Sun.
Alpha Centauri A is the largest and most luminous of the three, while Alpha Centauri B is slightly smaller and dimmer. Both stars are similar in age to our Sun and are estimated to be around 4.85 and 6.17 billion years old, respectively.
Regarding the possibility of habitable planets in the Alpha Centauri system, an exoplanet in orbit around Proxima Centauri has been discovered, named Proxima B.
Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf star and is the closest of the three to the Sun. In addition, the exoplanet Proxima B is known to be in the “habitable zone” of its star, which means that liquid water could exist on its surface, which is considered a key factor for life as we know it. However, the star is an active red dwarf and regularly emits bursts of solar radiation, which could have implications for the habitability of your planet.
For years astronomers have carried out studies and simulations to determine if there are more planets in the Alpha Centauri system, especially in the habitable zones around Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B. Some of these studies suggest the possibility of rocky planets in orbit around these stars, although no discovery has been confirmed.
Given Alpha Centauri’s proximity to our solar system, it has aroused great interest in the scientific community and the possibility of sending space missions in the future to explore this star system further.
The development of technologies such as solar sails and interstellar probes could allow us to get closer and study Alpha Centauri and its possible habitable planets more closely; however, these technologies are still too far out of reach, so currently, the only thing we can do is to observe it with the most powerful telescopes of humanity.
TOLIMAN mission
Until now, everything we know about the Alpha Centauri star system is the result of research that has been carried out thanks to data and observations by telescopes and radio telescopes around the world in conjunction with space telescopes.