HD 106906 b
HD 106906 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting the F5 V star HD 106906 in the constellation Crux. It lies about 336 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2013 using the imaging method.
Is HD 106906 b in the Habitable Zone?
HD 106906 b orbits beyond the outer edge of the habitable zone of HD 106906. At that distance, any surface water would almost certainly be frozen.
Habitable zone of HD 106906: 1.702–3.950 AU (conservative: 2.156–3.745 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 HD 106906 b
The equilibrium temperature of HD 106906 b is about 1,800 K (1,527 °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
HD 106906 b orbits at an average distance of 650.000 AU.
How Was HD 106906 b Discovered?
HD 106906 b was discovered in 2013 using the imaging method, with observations from Las Campanas Observatory.
Direct imaging captures actual pictures of a planet by blocking out the overwhelming glare of its host star. It works best for young, hot, massive planets on wide orbits.
How Far Away Is HD 106906 b?
HD 106906 b is 336.0 light-years (103.0 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1690. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 5,913,600 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. HD 106906 b scores 0.07, ranking #4,898 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: HD 106906
HD 106906
- Spectral type
- F5 V
- Surface temperature
- 6,516 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.50 M☉
- Luminosity
- 5.6234 L☉
- Age
- 0.0 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
Planetary System
HD 106906 b is the only planet known to orbit HD 106906 so far.
HD 106906 b — Complete Data
| Mass | 3,496.00 Earth masses (11.000 Jupiter masses) |
|---|---|
| Orbital distance | 650.000 AU |
| Equilibrium temperature | 1,800 K (1,527 °C) |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.07 |
| Distance from Earth | 336.0 light-years (103.0 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Crux |
| Discovery method | Imaging |
| Discovery facility | Las Campanas Observatory |
| Discovery year | 2013 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2014-05-14. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About HD 106906 b
Is HD 106906 b habitable?
No — HD 106906 b orbits outside the habitable zone of HD 106906 and is likely too cold for liquid water on its surface.
How far away is HD 106906 b?
HD 106906 b is about 336 light-years from Earth in the constellation Crux. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 5,913,600 years to get there.
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