GJ 896 A b
GJ 896 A b is a cold gas giant orbiting the M3.5 V star GJ 896 A in the constellation Pegasus. It lies about 20 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2022 using the astrometry method.
Is GJ 896 A b in the Habitable Zone?
The position of GJ 896 A b relative to the habitable zone of GJ 896 A cannot be precisely determined from the available orbital data.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on GJ 896 A b — one full orbit around GJ 896 A — lasts 284.4 Earth days, between the years of Mercury (88 days) and Earth (365 days). It orbits at an average distance of 0.640 AU — comparable to the inner Solar System. Its orbit is highly elliptical (eccentricity 0.35), swinging dramatically closer to and farther from its star.
How Was GJ 896 A b Discovered?
GJ 896 A b was discovered in 2022 using the astrometry method, with observations from Very Long Baseline Array.
Astrometry detects a planet by measuring the tiny periodic shift in a star's position on the sky as the star and planet orbit their common center of mass.
How Far Away Is GJ 896 A b?
GJ 896 A b is 20.4 light-years (6.3 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 2006. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 359,040 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 896 A b scores 0.11, ranking #4,358 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: GJ 896 A
GJ 896 A b belongs to a system of 2 stars; it orbits GJ 896 A.
GJ 896 A
- Spectral type
- M3.5 V
- Mass
- 0.44 M☉
Planetary System
GJ 896 A b is the only planet known to orbit GJ 896 A so far.
GJ 896 A b — Complete Data
| Mass | 718.29 Earth masses (2.260 Jupiter masses) |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 284.39 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.640 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.350 |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.11 |
| Distance from Earth | 20.4 light-years (6.3 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Pegasus |
| Discovery method | Astrometry |
| Discovery facility | Very Long Baseline Array |
| Discovery year | 2022 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2022-09-14. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About GJ 896 A b
Is GJ 896 A b habitable?
GJ 896 A b is not known to orbit within the habitable zone of GJ 896 A, and as a cold gas giant it is an unlikely candidate for life as we know it.
How far away is GJ 896 A b?
GJ 896 A b is about 20 light-years from Earth in the constellation Pegasus. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 359,040 years to get there.
How long is a year on GJ 896 A b?
One orbit around GJ 896 A takes 284.4 Earth days.
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