GJ 463 b
GJ 463 b is a cold gas giant orbiting the M3.0 V star GJ 463 in the constellation Draco. It lies about 60 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2022 using the radial velocity method.
Is GJ 463 b in the Habitable Zone?
GJ 463 b orbits beyond the outer edge of the habitable zone of GJ 463. At that distance, any surface water would almost certainly be frozen.
Habitable zone of GJ 463: 0.150–0.388 AU (conservative: 0.190–0.368 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 463 b — one full orbit around GJ 463 — lasts 3,459.0 Earth days, longer than an Earth year. It orbits at an average distance of 3.530 AU. Its orbit is mildly elliptical (eccentricity 0.15).
How Was GJ 463 b Discovered?
GJ 463 b was discovered in 2022 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 463 b?
GJ 463 b is 59.9 light-years (18.4 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1967. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 1,054,240 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 463 b scores 0.07, ranking #4,913 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: GJ 463
GJ 463
- Spectral type
- M3.0 V
- Surface temperature
- 3,563 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.49 M☉
- Radius
- 0.48 R☉
Planetary System
GJ 463 b is the only planet known to orbit GJ 463 so far.
GJ 463 b — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 524.10 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 3,459.00 days |
| Orbital distance | 3.530 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.146 |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.07 |
| Distance from Earth | 59.9 light-years (18.4 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Draco |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | Multiple Observatories |
| Discovery year | 2022 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2025-08-28. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About GJ 463 b
Is GJ 463 b habitable?
No — GJ 463 b orbits outside the habitable zone of GJ 463 and is likely too cold for liquid water on its surface.
How far away is GJ 463 b?
GJ 463 b is about 60 light-years from Earth in the constellation Draco. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 1,054,240 years to get there.
How long is a year on GJ 463 b?
One orbit around GJ 463 takes 3,459.0 Earth days.
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