HD 137496 b
HD 137496 b is a lava world orbiting the G star HD 137496 in the constellation Libra. It lies about 507 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2021 using the transit method.
How Big Is HD 137496 b?
HD 137496 b has a radius of 1.31 times that of Earth. Its mass is 4.0 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 10.49 g/cm³ — comparable to rocky planets like Earth (5.51 g/cm³).
Is HD 137496 b in the Habitable Zone?
HD 137496 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of HD 137496. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of HD 137496: 1.200–2.827 AU (conservative: 1.520–2.680 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Temperature on HD 137496 b
The equilibrium temperature of HD 137496 b is about 2,130 K (1,857 °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 HD 137496 b — one full orbit around HD 137496 — lasts just 38.9 hours, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.027 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun.
How Was HD 137496 b Discovered?
HD 137496 b was discovered in 2021 using the transit method, with observations from K2.
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 HD 137496 b?
HD 137496 b is 506.6 light-years (155.3 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1520. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 8,916,160 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 137496 b scores 0.29, ranking #1,991 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: HD 137496
HD 137496
- Spectral type
- G
- Surface temperature
- 5,799 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.04 M☉
- Radius
- 1.59 R☉
- Age
- 8.3 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
The HD 137496 Planetary System
HD 137496 b is one of 2 known planets in the HD 137496 system. Its siblings:
- HD 137496 c (Cold Gas Giant)
HD 137496 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 1.310 Earth radii (0.117 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 4.04 Earth masses (0.013 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 10.49 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 1.62 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.027 AU |
| Equilibrium temperature | 2,130 K (1,857 °C) |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.29 |
| Distance from Earth | 506.6 light-years (155.3 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Libra |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | K2 |
| Discovery year | 2021 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2021-11-18. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About HD 137496 b
Is HD 137496 b habitable?
No — HD 137496 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is HD 137496 b?
HD 137496 b is about 507 light-years from Earth in the constellation Libra. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 8,916,160 years to get there.
How big is HD 137496 b compared to Earth?
HD 137496 b has 1.31 times the radius of Earth and about 4.0 times its mass.
How long is a year on HD 137496 b?
One orbit around HD 137496 takes 1.6 Earth days — short enough that 225 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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