GJ 179 b
GJ 179 b is a cold gas giant orbiting the M3.5 V star GJ 179 in the constellation Orion. It lies about 40 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2009 using the radial velocity method.
Is GJ 179 b in the Habitable Zone?
GJ 179 b orbits beyond the outer edge of the habitable zone of GJ 179. At that distance, any surface water would almost certainly be frozen.
Habitable zone of GJ 179: 0.104–0.271 AU (conservative: 0.131–0.257 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Orbit and Year Length
A year on GJ 179 b — one full orbit around GJ 179 — lasts 2,288.0 Earth days, longer than an Earth year. It orbits at an average distance of 2.410 AU. Its orbit is mildly elliptical (eccentricity 0.21).
How Was GJ 179 b Discovered?
GJ 179 b was discovered in 2009 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 GJ 179 b?
GJ 179 b is 40.3 light-years (12.4 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1986. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 709,280 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. GJ 179 b scores 0.07, ranking #4,975 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: GJ 179
GJ 179
- Spectral type
- M3.5 V
- Surface temperature
- 3,370 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.36 M☉
- Radius
- 0.38 R☉
- Luminosity
- 0.0160 L☉
Planetary System
GJ 179 b is the only planet known to orbit GJ 179 so far.
GJ 179 b — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 260.61 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 2,288.00 days |
| Orbital distance | 2.410 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.210 |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.07 |
| Distance from Earth | 40.3 light-years (12.4 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Orion |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | W. M. Keck Observatory |
| Discovery year | 2009 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2014-05-14. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About GJ 179 b
Is GJ 179 b habitable?
No — GJ 179 b orbits outside the habitable zone of GJ 179 and is likely too cold for liquid water on its surface.
How far away is GJ 179 b?
GJ 179 b is about 40 light-years from Earth in the constellation Orion. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 709,280 years to get there.
How long is a year on GJ 179 b?
One orbit around GJ 179 takes 2,288.0 Earth days.
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