The closest star to Earth, after the Sun, is Proxima Centauri. It is located about 4.24 light-years away in the Alpha Centauri star system. Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf star, which means it is smaller and cooler than the Sun.
Proxima Centauri is part of a three-star system that includes Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B, which are more similar to our Sun in terms of size and brightness. While Proxima Centauri is the closest star, it is not visible to the naked eye without a telescope due to its faintness.
One interesting aspect of Proxima Centauri is that it has been found to host at least one planet in the habitable zone, known as Proxima b. This has sparked discussions and research about the potential for life beyond our solar system.