GJ 3293 d
GJ 3293 d is a super-Earth orbiting the M2.5 star GJ 3293 in the constellation Eridanus. It lies about 66 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2017 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 d in the Habitable Zone?
GJ 3293 d orbits inside the conservative habitable zone of GJ 3293 — 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 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 d
GJ 3293 d receives 0.59 times the stellar energy that Earth gets from the Sun.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on GJ 3293 d — one full orbit around GJ 3293 — lasts 48.1 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.194 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. Its orbit is mildly elliptical (eccentricity 0.12).
How Was GJ 3293 d Discovered?
GJ 3293 d was discovered in 2017 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 d?
GJ 3293 d 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 d scores 0.63, ranking #109 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 d is one of 4 known planets in the GJ 3293 system. Its siblings:
GJ 3293 d — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 7.60 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 48.13 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.194 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.120 |
| Stellar irradiation | 0.59× Earth |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.63 |
| Distance from Earth | 65.9 light-years (20.2 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Eridanus |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | La Silla Observatory |
| Discovery year | 2017 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2017-03-29. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About GJ 3293 d
Is GJ 3293 d habitable?
GJ 3293 d orbits within the habitable zone of GJ 3293, 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 3293 d?
GJ 3293 d 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 d?
One orbit around GJ 3293 takes 48.1 Earth days.
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