HAT-P-38 b
HAT-P-38 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting HAT-P-38 in the constellation Triangulum. It lies about 832 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2012 using the transit method.
How Big Is HAT-P-38 b?
HAT-P-38 b has a radius of 9.25 times that of Earth, or 0.83 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 84.9 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 0.59 g/cm³ — closer to gas planets like Jupiter (1.33 g/cm³).
Is HAT-P-38 b in the Habitable Zone?
HAT-P-38 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of HAT-P-38. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of HAT-P-38: 0.606–1.448 AU (conservative: 0.768–1.372 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Temperature on HAT-P-38 b
The equilibrium temperature of HAT-P-38 b is about 1,082 K (809 °C) — hot enough to melt many metals. 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 HAT-P-38 b — one full orbit around HAT-P-38 — lasts 4.64 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.052 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. Its orbit is mildly elliptical (eccentricity 0.07).
How Was HAT-P-38 b Discovered?
HAT-P-38 b was discovered in 2012 using the transit method, with observations from HATNet.
The transit method watches a star for the tiny, regular dip in brightness that occurs when a planet crosses in front of it. The depth and timing of these dips reveal the planet's size and orbital period.
How Far Away Is HAT-P-38 b?
HAT-P-38 b is 832.4 light-years (255.2 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1194. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 14,650,240 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. HAT-P-38 b scores 0.10, ranking #4,456 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: HAT-P-38
HAT-P-38
- Surface temperature
- 5,330 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.89 M☉
- Radius
- 0.92 R☉
- Luminosity
- 0.6194 L☉
Planetary System
HAT-P-38 b is the only planet known to orbit HAT-P-38 so far.
HAT-P-38 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 9.247 Earth radii (0.825 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 84.86 Earth masses (0.267 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 0.59 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 4.64 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.052 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.067 |
| Equilibrium temperature | 1,082 K (809 °C) |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.10 |
| Distance from Earth | 832.4 light-years (255.2 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Triangulum |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | HATNet |
| Discovery year | 2012 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2014-05-14. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About HAT-P-38 b
Is HAT-P-38 b habitable?
No — HAT-P-38 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is HAT-P-38 b?
HAT-P-38 b is about 832 light-years from Earth in the constellation Triangulum. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 14,650,240 years to get there.
How big is HAT-P-38 b compared to Earth?
HAT-P-38 b has 9.25 times the radius of Earth and about 84.9 times its mass.
How long is a year on HAT-P-38 b?
One orbit around HAT-P-38 takes 4.6 Earth days — short enough that 79 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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