14 Her b
14 Her b is a cold gas giant orbiting the K0 star 14 Her in the constellation Hercules. It lies about 59 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2002 using the radial velocity method.
Is 14 Her b in the Habitable Zone?
The position of 14 Her b relative to the habitable zone of 14 Her cannot be precisely determined from the available orbital data.
Orbit and Year Length
14 Her b orbits at an average distance of 2.839 AU. Its orbit is highly elliptical (eccentricity 0.37), swinging dramatically closer to and farther from its star.
How Was 14 Her b Discovered?
14 Her b was discovered in 2002 using the radial velocity method, with observations from W. M. Keck Observatory.
The radial velocity method measures the subtle wobble of a star caused by the gravitational pull of an orbiting planet, visible as periodic shifts in the star's light spectrum. The size of the wobble reveals the planet's minimum mass.
How Far Away Is 14 Her b?
14 Her b is 58.5 light-years (17.9 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1968. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 1,029,600 years to make the journey.
Earth Similarity Index
The Earth Similarity Index (ESI) scores how physically similar a planet is to Earth, from 0 to 1, based on radius, density, escape velocity and surface temperature. 14 Her b scores 0.16, ranking #4,127 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: 14 Her
14 Her
- Spectral type
- K0
- Mass
- 0.97 M☉
- Age
- 4.6 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
The 14 Her Planetary System
14 Her b is one of 2 known planets in the 14 Her system. Its siblings:
- HD 145675 c (Cold Gas Giant)
14 Her b — Complete Data
| Mass | 2,828.67 Earth masses (8.900 Jupiter masses) |
|---|---|
| Orbital distance | 2.839 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.368 |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.16 |
| Distance from Earth | 58.5 light-years (17.9 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Hercules |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | W. M. Keck Observatory |
| Discovery year | 2002 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2026-03-26. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About 14 Her b
Is 14 Her b habitable?
14 Her b is not known to orbit within the habitable zone of 14 Her, and as a cold gas giant it is an unlikely candidate for life as we know it.
How far away is 14 Her b?
14 Her b is about 59 light-years from Earth in the constellation Hercules. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 1,029,600 years to get there.
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