HATS-51 b
HATS-51 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting HATS-51 in the constellation Canis Major. It lies about 1,271 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2017 using the transit method.
How Big Is HATS-51 b?
HATS-51 b has a radius of 15.80 times that of Earth, or 1.41 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 244 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 0.34 g/cm³ — closer to gas planets like Jupiter (1.33 g/cm³).
Is HATS-51 b in the Habitable Zone?
HATS-51 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of HATS-51. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of HATS-51: 1.073–2.530 AU (conservative: 1.359–2.398 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Temperature on HATS-51 b
The equilibrium temperature of HATS-51 b is about 1,553 K (1,280 °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-51 b — one full orbit around HATS-51 — lasts 3.35 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.046 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical (eccentricity 0.33), swinging dramatically closer to and farther from its star.
How Was HATS-51 b Discovered?
HATS-51 b was discovered in 2017 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-51 b?
HATS-51 b is 1,270.6 light-years (389.6 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet about 1,271 years ago. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 22,362,560 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-51 b scores 0.06, ranking #5,173 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: HATS-51
HATS-51
- Surface temperature
- 5,758 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.19 M☉
- Radius
- 1.44 R☉
- Luminosity
- 2.0400 L☉
- Age
- 4.7 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
Planetary System
HATS-51 b is the only planet known to orbit HATS-51 so far.
HATS-51 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 15.805 Earth radii (1.410 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 244.09 Earth masses (0.768 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 0.34 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 3.35 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.046 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.330 |
| Equilibrium temperature | 1,553 K (1,280 °C) |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.06 |
| Distance from Earth | 1,270.6 light-years (389.6 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Canis Major |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | HATSouth |
| Discovery year | 2017 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2018-01-03. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About HATS-51 b
Is HATS-51 b habitable?
No — HATS-51 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is HATS-51 b?
HATS-51 b is about 1,271 light-years from Earth in the constellation Canis Major. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 22,362,560 years to get there.
How big is HATS-51 b compared to Earth?
HATS-51 b has 15.80 times the radius of Earth and about 244 times its mass.
How long is a year on HATS-51 b?
One orbit around HATS-51 takes 3.3 Earth days — short enough that 109 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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