HD 11964 b
HD 11964 b is a cold gas giant orbiting HD 11964 in the constellation Cetus. It lies about 109 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2005 using the radial velocity method.
Is HD 11964 b in the Habitable Zone?
HD 11964 b orbits beyond the outer edge of the habitable zone of HD 11964. At that distance, any surface water would almost certainly be frozen.
Habitable zone of HD 11964: 1.308–3.128 AU (conservative: 1.657–2.965 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Orbit and Year Length
A year on HD 11964 b — one full orbit around HD 11964 — lasts 1,945.0 Earth days, longer than an Earth year. It orbits at an average distance of 3.160 AU. Its orbit is nearly circular (eccentricity 0.041).
How Was HD 11964 b Discovered?
HD 11964 b was discovered in 2005 using the radial velocity method, with observations from W. M. Keck Observatory.
The radial velocity method measures the subtle wobble of a star caused by the gravitational pull of an orbiting planet, visible as periodic shifts in the star's light spectrum. The size of the wobble reveals the planet's minimum mass.
How Far Away Is HD 11964 b?
HD 11964 b is 109.4 light-years (33.5 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1917. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 1,925,440 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 11964 b scores 0.27, ranking #2,513 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: HD 11964
HD 11964 b belongs to a system of 2 stars; it orbits HD 11964.
HD 11964
- Surface temperature
- 5,303 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.91 M☉
- Radius
- 2.01 R☉
- Luminosity
- 2.8777 L☉
The HD 11964 Planetary System
HD 11964 b is one of 2 known planets in the HD 11964 system. Its siblings:
- HD 11964 c (Neptune-like)
HD 11964 b — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 198.00 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 1,945.00 days |
| Orbital distance | 3.160 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.041 |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.27 |
| Distance from Earth | 109.4 light-years (33.5 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | W. M. Keck Observatory |
| Discovery year | 2005 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2019-01-28. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About HD 11964 b
Is HD 11964 b habitable?
No — HD 11964 b orbits outside the habitable zone of HD 11964 and is likely too cold for liquid water on its surface.
How far away is HD 11964 b?
HD 11964 b is about 109 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cetus. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 1,925,440 years to get there.
How long is a year on HD 11964 b?
One orbit around HD 11964 takes 1,945.0 Earth days.
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