BD-06 1339 c
BD-06 1339 c is a cold gas giant orbiting the K7/M0 V star BD-06 1339 in the constellation Orion. It lies about 66 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2013 using the radial velocity method. It orbits within the habitable zone of its star — the region where liquid water could exist on a planet's surface.
Is BD-06 1339 c in the Habitable Zone?
BD-06 1339 c orbits inside the conservative habitable zone of BD-06 1339 — the region where a rocky planet could sustain liquid water on its surface. This makes it one of the most interesting known exoplanets in the search for life.
Habitable zone of BD-06 1339: 0.248–0.618 AU (conservative: 0.314–0.586 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
See the full interactive habitable-zone view in the Exoplanet Explorer app ›
Orbit and Year Length
A year on BD-06 1339 c — one full orbit around BD-06 1339 — lasts 125.9 Earth days, between the years of Mercury (88 days) and Earth (365 days). It orbits at an average distance of 0.435 AU — comparable to the inner Solar System. Its orbit is highly elliptical (eccentricity 0.31), swinging dramatically closer to and farther from its star.
How Was BD-06 1339 c Discovered?
BD-06 1339 c was discovered in 2013 using the radial velocity method, with observations from La Silla 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 BD-06 1339 c?
BD-06 1339 c is 66.1 light-years (20.3 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1960. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 1,163,360 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. BD-06 1339 c scores 0.40, ranking #463 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: BD-06 1339
BD-06 1339
- Spectral type
- K7/M0 V
- Surface temperature
- 4,324 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.70 M☉
- Luminosity
- 0.0951 L☉
- Age
- 4.4 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
The BD-06 1339 Planetary System
BD-06 1339 c is one of 2 known planets in the BD-06 1339 system. Its siblings:
- BD-06 1339 b (Super Earth)
BD-06 1339 c — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 53.00 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 125.94 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.435 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.310 |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.40 |
| Distance from Earth | 66.1 light-years (20.3 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Orion |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | La Silla Observatory |
| Discovery year | 2013 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2014-05-14. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About BD-06 1339 c
Is BD-06 1339 c habitable?
BD-06 1339 c orbits within the habitable zone of BD-06 1339, the region where liquid water could exist on a planet's surface. It sits in the conservative habitable zone — the most promising region for habitability. Whether it is actually habitable depends on its atmosphere and composition, which remain unknown.
How far away is BD-06 1339 c?
BD-06 1339 c is about 66 light-years from Earth in the constellation Orion. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 1,163,360 years to get there.
How long is a year on BD-06 1339 c?
One orbit around BD-06 1339 takes 125.9 Earth days.
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