Skip to main content

BD+63 1405 b

Cold Gas Giant Draco

BD+63 1405 b is a cold gas giant orbiting the K0 star BD+63 1405 in the constellation Draco. It lies about 124 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2021 using the radial velocity method.

1,259×Earth mass
1,198 dOrbital period
0.23Earth similarity
124 lyDistance
2021Discovered

Is BD+63 1405 b in the Habitable Zone?

The position of BD+63 1405 b relative to the habitable zone of BD+63 1405 cannot be precisely determined from the available orbital data.

Orbit and Year Length

A year on BD+63 1405 b — one full orbit around BD+63 1405 — lasts 1,198.5 Earth days, longer than an Earth year. It orbits at an average distance of 2.060 AU. Its orbit is highly elliptical (eccentricity 0.88), swinging dramatically closer to and farther from its star.

How Was BD+63 1405 b Discovered?

BD+63 1405 b was discovered in 2021 using the radial velocity method, with observations from Haute-Provence 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+63 1405 b?

BD+63 1405 b is 124.1 light-years (38.0 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1902. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 2,184,160 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+63 1405 b scores 0.23, ranking #3,500 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.

The Host Star: BD+63 1405

BD+63 1405

Spectral type
K0
Surface temperature
5,000 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
Mass
0.82 M☉

Planetary System

BD+63 1405 b is the only planet known to orbit BD+63 1405 so far.

BD+63 1405 b — Complete Data

Mass (best estimate)1,258.60 Earth masses
Orbital period1,198.48 days
Orbital distance2.060 AU
Eccentricity0.880
Earth Similarity Index0.23
Distance from Earth124.1 light-years (38.0 parsecs)
ConstellationDraco
Discovery methodRadial Velocity
Discovery facilityHaute-Provence Observatory
Discovery year2021

Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2021-05-28. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.

Frequently Asked Questions About BD+63 1405 b

Is BD+63 1405 b habitable?

BD+63 1405 b is not known to orbit within the habitable zone of BD+63 1405, and as a cold gas giant it is an unlikely candidate for life as we know it.

How far away is BD+63 1405 b?

BD+63 1405 b is about 124 light-years from Earth in the constellation Draco. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 2,184,160 years to get there.

How long is a year on BD+63 1405 b?

One orbit around BD+63 1405 takes 1,198.5 Earth days.

Exoplanet Explorer app icon

Explore BD+63 1405 b in the app

Browse, filter and compare 6,000+ exoplanets on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch — with habitable-zone views, widgets and offline data.

Download on the App Store