GJ 480 b
GJ 480 b is a super-Earth orbiting GJ 480 in the constellation Virgo. It lies about 46 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2020 using the radial velocity method.
Is GJ 480 b in the Habitable Zone?
GJ 480 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of GJ 480. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of GJ 480: 0.135–0.351 AU (conservative: 0.172–0.333 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 ›
Temperature on GJ 480 b
The equilibrium temperature of GJ 480 b is about 406 K (133 °C) — hotter than anywhere on Earth. This estimate ignores any atmosphere, which could change surface temperatures dramatically — Earth's greenhouse effect adds about 33 °C.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on GJ 480 b — one full orbit around GJ 480 — lasts 9.55 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.068 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun.
How Was GJ 480 b Discovered?
GJ 480 b was discovered in 2020 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 480 b?
GJ 480 b is 46.4 light-years (14.2 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1980. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 816,640 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 480 b scores 0.37, ranking #633 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: GJ 480
GJ 480
- Surface temperature
- 3,509 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.45 M☉
- Radius
- 0.45 R☉
- Luminosity
- 0.0274 L☉
Planetary System
GJ 480 b is the only planet known to orbit GJ 480 so far.
GJ 480 b — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 8.80 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 9.55 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.068 AU |
| Equilibrium temperature | 406 K (133 °C) |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.37 |
| Distance from Earth | 46.4 light-years (14.2 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | Multiple Observatories |
| Discovery year | 2020 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2026-03-05. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About GJ 480 b
Is GJ 480 b habitable?
No — GJ 480 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is GJ 480 b?
GJ 480 b is about 46 light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 816,640 years to get there.
How long is a year on GJ 480 b?
One orbit around GJ 480 takes 9.6 Earth days — short enough that 38 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
Explore GJ 480 b in the app
Browse, filter and compare 6,000+ exoplanets on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch — with habitable-zone views, widgets and offline data.
