bet Pic b
bet Pic b is a cold gas giant orbiting bet Pic in the constellation Pictor. It lies about 64 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2008 using the imaging method.
Is bet Pic b in the Habitable Zone?
The position of bet Pic b relative to the habitable zone of bet Pic cannot be precisely determined from the available orbital data.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on bet Pic b — one full orbit around bet Pic — lasts 8,617.5 Earth days, longer than Jupiter's 12-year orbit. It orbits at an average distance of 10.018 AU. Its orbit is mildly elliptical (eccentricity 0.11).
How Was bet Pic b Discovered?
bet Pic b was discovered in 2008 using the imaging method, with observations from Paranal Observatory.
Direct imaging captures actual pictures of a planet by blocking out the overwhelming glare of its host star. It works best for young, hot, massive planets on wide orbits.
How Far Away Is bet Pic b?
bet Pic b is 64.4 light-years (19.7 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1962. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 1,133,440 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. bet Pic b scores 0.13, ranking #4,272 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: bet Pic
bet Pic
- Mass
- 1.80 M☉
The bet Pic Planetary System
bet Pic b is one of 2 known planets in the bet Pic system. Its siblings:
- bet Pic c (Cold Gas Giant)
bet Pic b — Complete Data
| Mass | 3,727.81 Earth masses (11.729 Jupiter masses) |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 8,617.51 days |
| Orbital distance | 10.018 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.106 |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.13 |
| Distance from Earth | 64.4 light-years (19.7 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Pictor |
| Discovery method | Imaging |
| Discovery facility | Paranal Observatory |
| Discovery year | 2008 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2023-06-12. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About bet Pic b
Is bet Pic b habitable?
bet Pic b is not known to orbit within the habitable zone of bet Pic, and as a cold gas giant it is an unlikely candidate for life as we know it.
How far away is bet Pic b?
bet Pic b is about 64 light-years from Earth in the constellation Pictor. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 1,133,440 years to get there.
How long is a year on bet Pic b?
One orbit around bet Pic takes 8,617.5 Earth days.
Explore bet Pic b in the app
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