HATS-68 b
HATS-68 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting HATS-68 in the constellation Tucana. It lies about 1,970 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2018 using the transit method.
How Big Is HATS-68 b?
HATS-68 b has a radius of 13.81 times that of Earth, or 1.23 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 410 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 0.86 g/cm³ — closer to gas planets like Jupiter (1.33 g/cm³).
Is HATS-68 b in the Habitable Zone?
HATS-68 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of HATS-68. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of HATS-68: 1.451–3.389 AU (conservative: 1.838–3.213 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Temperature on HATS-68 b
The equilibrium temperature of HATS-68 b is about 1,741 K (1,468 °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. It receives 1,521 times the stellar energy that Earth gets from the Sun.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on HATS-68 b — one full orbit around HATS-68 — lasts 3.59 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.051 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. Its orbit is nearly circular (eccentricity 0.036).
How Was HATS-68 b Discovered?
HATS-68 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-68 b?
HATS-68 b is 1,969.8 light-years (604.0 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet about 1,970 years ago. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 34,668,480 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-68 b scores 0.07, ranking #5,038 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: HATS-68
HATS-68
- Surface temperature
- 6,147 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.35 M☉
- Radius
- 1.75 R☉
- Luminosity
- 3.9100 L☉
- Age
- 3.0 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
Planetary System
HATS-68 b is the only planet known to orbit HATS-68 so far.
HATS-68 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 13.809 Earth radii (1.232 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 410.00 Earth masses (1.290 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 0.86 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 3.59 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.051 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.036 |
| Equilibrium temperature | 1,741 K (1,468 °C) |
| Stellar irradiation | 1,521.00× Earth |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.07 |
| Distance from Earth | 1,969.8 light-years (604.0 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Tucana |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | HATSouth |
| Discovery year | 2018 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2024-07-12. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About HATS-68 b
Is HATS-68 b habitable?
No — HATS-68 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is HATS-68 b?
HATS-68 b is about 1,970 light-years from Earth in the constellation Tucana. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 34,668,480 years to get there.
How big is HATS-68 b compared to Earth?
HATS-68 b has 13.81 times the radius of Earth and about 410 times its mass.
How long is a year on HATS-68 b?
One orbit around HATS-68 takes 3.6 Earth days — short enough that 102 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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