HD 134987 c
HD 134987 c is a cold gas giant orbiting HD 134987 in the constellation Libra. It lies about 85 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2009 using the radial velocity method.
Is HD 134987 c in the Habitable Zone?
HD 134987 c orbits beyond the outer edge of the habitable zone of HD 134987. At that distance, any surface water would almost certainly be frozen.
Habitable zone of HD 134987: 0.905–2.134 AU (conservative: 1.146–2.023 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 ›
Orbit and Year Length
A year on HD 134987 c — one full orbit around HD 134987 — lasts 5,000.0 Earth days, longer than Jupiter's 12-year orbit. It orbits at an average distance of 5.800 AU. Its orbit is mildly elliptical (eccentricity 0.12).
How Was HD 134987 c Discovered?
HD 134987 c was discovered in 2009 using the radial velocity method, with observations from Multiple Observatories.
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 134987 c?
HD 134987 c is 85.4 light-years (26.2 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1941. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 1,503,040 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 134987 c scores 0.12, ranking #4,338 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: HD 134987
HD 134987
- Surface temperature
- 5,736 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.10 M☉
- Radius
- 1.22 R☉
The HD 134987 Planetary System
HD 134987 c is one of 2 known planets in the HD 134987 system. Its siblings:
- HD 134987 b (Cold Gas Giant)
HD 134987 c — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 260.00 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 5,000.00 days |
| Orbital distance | 5.800 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.120 |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.12 |
| Distance from Earth | 85.4 light-years (26.2 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Libra |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | Multiple Observatories |
| Discovery year | 2009 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2019-01-28. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About HD 134987 c
Is HD 134987 c habitable?
No — HD 134987 c orbits outside the habitable zone of HD 134987 and is likely too cold for liquid water on its surface.
How far away is HD 134987 c?
HD 134987 c is about 85 light-years from Earth in the constellation Libra. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 1,503,040 years to get there.
How long is a year on HD 134987 c?
One orbit around HD 134987 takes 5,000.0 Earth days.
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