GJ 3293 b
GJ 3293 b is a Neptune-like planet orbiting the M2.5 star GJ 3293 in the constellation Eridanus. It lies about 66 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2015 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 3293 b in the Habitable Zone?
GJ 3293 b orbits within the optimistic habitable zone of GJ 3293 — the broader region where liquid water might be possible under favorable atmospheric conditions.
Habitable zone of GJ 3293: 0.121–0.315 AU (conservative: 0.154–0.299 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Temperature on GJ 3293 b
GJ 3293 b receives 1.07 times the stellar energy that Earth gets from the Sun.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on GJ 3293 b — one full orbit around GJ 3293 — lasts 30.6 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.143 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. Its orbit is mildly elliptical (eccentricity 0.06).
How Was GJ 3293 b Discovered?
GJ 3293 b was discovered in 2015 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 GJ 3293 b?
GJ 3293 b is 65.9 light-years (20.2 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1961. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 1,159,840 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 3293 b scores 0.52, ranking #227 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: GJ 3293
GJ 3293
- Spectral type
- M2.5
- Surface temperature
- 3,466 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.42 M☉
- Radius
- 0.40 R☉
- Luminosity
- 0.0220 L☉
The GJ 3293 Planetary System
GJ 3293 b is one of 4 known planets in the GJ 3293 system. Its siblings:
GJ 3293 b — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 23.54 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 30.60 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.143 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.060 |
| Stellar irradiation | 1.07× Earth |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.52 |
| Distance from Earth | 65.9 light-years (20.2 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Eridanus |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | La Silla Observatory |
| Discovery year | 2015 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2017-03-29. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About GJ 3293 b
Is GJ 3293 b habitable?
GJ 3293 b orbits within the habitable zone of GJ 3293, the region where liquid water could exist on a planet's surface. Whether it is actually habitable depends on its atmosphere and composition, which remain unknown.
How far away is GJ 3293 b?
GJ 3293 b is about 66 light-years from Earth in the constellation Eridanus. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 1,159,840 years to get there.
How long is a year on GJ 3293 b?
One orbit around GJ 3293 takes 30.6 Earth days — short enough that 12 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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