AAS Nova: The European Southern Observatory (ESO) is widely expected to address the reports of the discovery of a planet orbiting our nearest stellar neighbor, Proxima Centauri, today. Due to its proximity — 4.25 light-years away — this red dwarf star has been a prime target for exoplanet searches throughout the last couple decades. Hubble image of Proxima Centauri, our nearest stellar neighbor. [ESA/Hubble]In anticipation of ESO’s press conference this afternoon, let’s take a look at some of the past work in the search for planetary companions around Proxima Centauri. The Early Years of Exploring Proxima Centauri Proxima Centauri was discovered by astronomer Robert Innes in 1915. Studies of this star over the next eighty years primarily focused on better understanding its orbital motion (is it part of the Alpha Centauri star system?) and its flaring nature. But in the 1990s, after the detection of the first exoplanets, Proxima Centauri became a target for its potential to host planet-mass companions. Top: Images of Proxima Centauri on two different days from Hubble’s FOS instrument. The bar across the center is an occulter that partially blocks the light from Proxima Centauri. Middle: Reconstructed images allowing a closer look at a moving feature identified by ...