GJ 508.2 b
GJ 508.2 b is a cold gas giant orbiting the M1.0 V star GJ 508.2 in the constellation Canes Venatici. It lies about 54 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2025 using the radial velocity method.
Is GJ 508.2 b in the Habitable Zone?
GJ 508.2 b orbits beyond the outer edge of the habitable zone of GJ 508.2. At that distance, any surface water would almost certainly be frozen.
Habitable zone of GJ 508.2: 0.179–0.460 AU (conservative: 0.227–0.436 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 508.2 b — one full orbit around GJ 508.2 — lasts 5,300.0 Earth days, longer than Jupiter's 12-year orbit. It orbits at an average distance of 4.850 AU. Its orbit is mildly elliptical (eccentricity 0.27).
How Was GJ 508.2 b Discovered?
GJ 508.2 b was discovered in 2025 using the radial velocity method, with observations from Calar Alto 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 508.2 b?
GJ 508.2 b is 54.3 light-years (16.6 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1972. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 955,680 years to make the journey.
The Host Star: GJ 508.2
GJ 508.2
- Spectral type
- M1.0 V
- Surface temperature
- 3,720 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.54 M☉
- Radius
- 0.53 R☉
Planetary System
GJ 508.2 b is the only planet known to orbit GJ 508.2 so far.
GJ 508.2 b — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 587.98 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 5,300.00 days |
| Orbital distance | 4.850 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.270 |
| Distance from Earth | 54.3 light-years (16.6 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Canes Venatici |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | Calar Alto Observatory |
| Discovery year | 2025 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2025-08-28. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About GJ 508.2 b
Is GJ 508.2 b habitable?
No — GJ 508.2 b orbits outside the habitable zone of GJ 508.2 and is likely too cold for liquid water on its surface.
How far away is GJ 508.2 b?
GJ 508.2 b is about 54 light-years from Earth in the constellation Canes Venatici. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 955,680 years to get there.
How long is a year on GJ 508.2 b?
One orbit around GJ 508.2 takes 5,300.0 Earth days.
Explore GJ 508.2 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.
