HATS-44 b
HATS-44 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting HATS-44 in the constellation Columba. It lies about 1,455 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2018 using the transit method.
How Big Is HATS-44 b?
HATS-44 b has a radius of 11.96 times that of Earth, or 1.07 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 178 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 0.56 g/cm³ — closer to gas planets like Jupiter (1.33 g/cm³).
Is HATS-44 b in the Habitable Zone?
HATS-44 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of HATS-44. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of HATS-44: 0.493–1.189 AU (conservative: 0.625–1.128 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 ›
Temperature on HATS-44 b
The equilibrium temperature of HATS-44 b is about 1,161 K (888 °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 HATS-44 b — one full orbit around HATS-44 — lasts 2.74 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.036 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. Its orbit is mildly elliptical (eccentricity 0.28).
How Was HATS-44 b Discovered?
HATS-44 b was discovered in 2018 using the transit method, with observations from HATSouth.
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 HATS-44 b?
HATS-44 b is 1,454.8 light-years (446.0 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet about 1,455 years ago. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 25,604,480 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. HATS-44 b scores 0.08, ranking #4,728 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: HATS-44
HATS-44
- Surface temperature
- 5,080 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.86 M☉
- Radius
- 0.85 R☉
- Luminosity
- 0.4000 L☉
- Age
- 9.7 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
Planetary System
HATS-44 b is the only planet known to orbit HATS-44 so far.
HATS-44 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 11.960 Earth radii (1.067 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 177.98 Earth masses (0.560 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 0.56 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 2.74 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.036 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.279 |
| Equilibrium temperature | 1,161 K (888 °C) |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.08 |
| Distance from Earth | 1,454.8 light-years (446.0 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Columba |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | HATSouth |
| Discovery year | 2018 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2018-05-22. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About HATS-44 b
Is HATS-44 b habitable?
No — HATS-44 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is HATS-44 b?
HATS-44 b is about 1,455 light-years from Earth in the constellation Columba. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 25,604,480 years to get there.
How big is HATS-44 b compared to Earth?
HATS-44 b has 11.96 times the radius of Earth and about 178 times its mass.
How long is a year on HATS-44 b?
One orbit around HATS-44 takes 2.7 Earth days — short enough that 133 of its years would fit into one Earth year.