GJ 887 d
GJ 887 d is a super-Earth orbiting the M1 V star GJ 887 in the constellation Piscis Austrinus. It lies about 11 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2026 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 887 d in the Habitable Zone?
GJ 887 d orbits inside the conservative habitable zone of GJ 887 — 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 887: 0.156–0.402 AU (conservative: 0.198–0.381 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Temperature on GJ 887 d
The equilibrium temperature of GJ 887 d is about 241 K (-32 °C) — in a range broadly comparable to Earth, whose equilibrium temperature is 255 K. This estimate ignores any atmosphere, which could change surface temperatures dramatically — Earth's greenhouse effect adds about 33 °C. It receives 0.81 times the stellar energy that Earth gets from the Sun.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on GJ 887 d — one full orbit around GJ 887 — lasts 50.8 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.212 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun.
How Was GJ 887 d Discovered?
GJ 887 d was discovered in 2026 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 887 d?
GJ 887 d is 10.7 light-years (3.3 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 2016. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 188,320 years to make the journey.
The Host Star: GJ 887
GJ 887
- Spectral type
- M1 V
- Surface temperature
- 3,688 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.50 M☉
- Radius
- 0.47 R☉
- Luminosity
- 0.0368 L☉
- Age
- 2.9 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
The GJ 887 Planetary System
GJ 887 d is one of 4 known planets in the GJ 887 system. Its siblings:
GJ 887 d — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 6.10 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 50.77 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.212 AU |
| Equilibrium temperature | 241 K (-32 °C) |
| Stellar irradiation | 0.81× Earth |
| Distance from Earth | 10.7 light-years (3.3 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Piscis Austrinus |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | Multiple Observatories |
| Discovery year | 2026 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2026-02-26. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About GJ 887 d
Is GJ 887 d habitable?
GJ 887 d orbits within the habitable zone of GJ 887, 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 887 d?
GJ 887 d is about 11 light-years from Earth in the constellation Piscis Austrinus. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 188,320 years to get there.
How long is a year on GJ 887 d?
One orbit around GJ 887 takes 50.8 Earth days.
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