GJ 180 c
GJ 180 c is a super-Earth orbiting the M2 V star GJ 180 in the constellation Eridanus. It lies about 39 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2014 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 GJ 180 c in the Habitable Zone?
GJ 180 c orbits inside the conservative habitable zone of GJ 180 — 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 GJ 180: 0.093–0.244 AU (conservative: 0.118–0.231 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 GJ 180 c — one full orbit around GJ 180 — lasts 24.3 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.129 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. Its orbit is mildly elliptical (eccentricity 0.09).
How Was GJ 180 c Discovered?
GJ 180 c was discovered in 2014 using the radial velocity method, with observations from Multiple Observatories.
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 180 c?
GJ 180 c is 38.9 light-years (11.9 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1988. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 684,640 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 180 c scores 0.70, ranking #64 of 5,565 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: GJ 180
GJ 180
- Spectral type
- M2 V
- Surface temperature
- 3,371 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.43 M☉
- Luminosity
- 0.0130 L☉
The GJ 180 Planetary System
GJ 180 c is one of 3 known planets in the GJ 180 system. Its siblings:
GJ 180 c — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 6.40 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 24.33 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.129 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.090 |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.70 |
| Distance from Earth | 38.9 light-years (11.9 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Eridanus |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | Multiple Observatories |
| Discovery year | 2014 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2019-10-04. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About GJ 180 c
Is GJ 180 c habitable?
GJ 180 c orbits within the habitable zone of GJ 180, 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 GJ 180 c?
GJ 180 c is about 39 light-years from Earth in the constellation Eridanus. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 684,640 years to get there.
How long is a year on GJ 180 c?
One orbit around GJ 180 takes 24.3 Earth days — short enough that 15 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
Explore GJ 180 c in the app
Browse, filter and compare 6,000+ exoplanets on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch — with habitable-zone views, widgets and offline data.
