Gl 49 b
Gl 49 b is a super-Earth orbiting the M1.5 V star Gl 49 in the constellation Cassiopeia. It lies about 32 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2019 using the radial velocity method.
Is Gl 49 b in the Habitable Zone?
Gl 49 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of Gl 49. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of Gl 49: 0.181–0.462 AU (conservative: 0.229–0.438 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 Gl 49 b — one full orbit around Gl 49 — lasts 13.9 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.091 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical (eccentricity 0.36), swinging dramatically closer to and farther from its star.
How Was Gl 49 b Discovered?
Gl 49 b was discovered in 2019 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 Gl 49 b?
Gl 49 b is 32.1 light-years (9.9 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1994. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 564,960 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. Gl 49 b scores 0.42, ranking #422 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: Gl 49
Gl 49 b belongs to a system of 2 stars; it orbits Gl 49.
Gl 49
- Spectral type
- M1.5 V
- Surface temperature
- 3,805 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.52 M☉
- Radius
- 0.51 R☉
- Luminosity
- 0.0494 L☉
Planetary System
Gl 49 b is the only planet known to orbit Gl 49 so far.
Gl 49 b — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 5.63 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 13.85 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.091 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.363 |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.42 |
| Distance from Earth | 32.1 light-years (9.9 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Cassiopeia |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | Multiple Observatories |
| Discovery year | 2019 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2019-06-07. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About Gl 49 b
Is Gl 49 b habitable?
No — Gl 49 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is Gl 49 b?
Gl 49 b is about 32 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cassiopeia. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 564,960 years to get there.
How long is a year on Gl 49 b?
One orbit around Gl 49 takes 13.9 Earth days — short enough that 26 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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