... In the Summer of 1054 A.D. Chinese astronomers reported that a star in the constellation of Taurus suddenly became as bright as the full Moon. ... The Pipe Dark Nebula . ... Alpha Centauri: The Closest Star System . ... The closest star system to the Sun is the Alpha Centauri system. Of the three stars in the system, the dimmest -- called Proxima Centauri -- is actually the nearest star. ... In the center of 30 Doradus lies a huge cluster of the largest, hottest, most massive stars known. ...