The Local Stellar Neighbourhood in 3D
The nearest stars to the Sun, plotted at their true three-dimensional positions from measured parallax distances. This is the view a two-dimensional star chart cannot give: not just where a star lies on the sky, but how far away it truly is. Drag to fly around the neighbourhood; the Sun sits at the centre.
What this scene shows
Distance-true — real measured 3D positions
Measured right ascension and declination with a measured parallax distance (light-years) for each star, converted to real Cartesian positions. Stars without a measured distance are excluded — never placed.
Only stars with a measured parallax distance are shown; a small number of catalogued stars have no reliable distance and are omitted rather than placed at a guessed position. Star colour is rendered from the measured B−V colour index; where it is unknown a neutral tone is used.
The objects in this scene
The same measured data as the visual scene, as a table — readable without JavaScript and by a screen reader.
Highlights
- ›Real 3D distances — the depth a flat sky chart cannot show
What it draws on
Knowledge connections
- Associated withAll-Sky Star Atlas
- Associated withSirius
- Associated withProxima Centauri
- Associated withVega
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.