The object is merely <i>in the direction</i> of the Alpha Centauri system. If it&#x27;s in that system, given its brightness, it would probably be a red dwarf, and we would have found it years ago. Assuming it&#x27;s not just an imaging glitch, it must be either a larger object farther away (very unlikely given its motion), or a smaller and closer body. More observations would be needed to distinguish among the possibilities.