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HD 143361 b

Cold Gas Giant Norma

HD 143361 b is a cold gas giant orbiting HD 143361 in the constellation Norma. It lies about 224 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2008 using the radial velocity method.

1,123×Earth mass
1,039 dOrbital period
0.24Earth similarity
224 lyDistance
2008Discovered

Is HD 143361 b in the Habitable Zone?

HD 143361 b orbits beyond the outer edge of the habitable zone of HD 143361. At that distance, any surface water would almost certainly be frozen.

HD 143361 b
Too hot Optimistic habitable zone Conservative habitable zone Too cold

Habitable zone of HD 143361: 0.634–1.507 AU (conservative: 0.804–1.428 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 143361 b — one full orbit around HD 143361 — lasts 1,039.2 Earth days, longer than an Earth year. It orbits at an average distance of 1.988 AU. Its orbit is mildly elliptical (eccentricity 0.20).

How Was HD 143361 b Discovered?

HD 143361 b was discovered in 2008 using the radial velocity method, with observations from Las Campanas 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 143361 b?

HD 143361 b is 223.5 light-years (68.5 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1803. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 3,933,600 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 143361 b scores 0.24, ranking #3,357 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.

The Host Star: HD 143361

HD 143361

Surface temperature
5,507 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
Mass
0.97 M☉
Radius
0.92 R☉
Age
2.9 billion years (Sun: 4.6)

Planetary System

HD 143361 b is the only planet known to orbit HD 143361 so far.

HD 143361 b — Complete Data

Mass (best estimate)1,122.58 Earth masses
Orbital period1,039.15 days
Orbital distance1.988 AU
Eccentricity0.197
Earth Similarity Index0.24
Distance from Earth223.5 light-years (68.5 parsecs)
ConstellationNorma
Discovery methodRadial Velocity
Discovery facilityLas Campanas Observatory
Discovery year2008

Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2019-06-24. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.

Frequently Asked Questions About HD 143361 b

Is HD 143361 b habitable?

No — HD 143361 b orbits outside the habitable zone of HD 143361 and is likely too cold for liquid water on its surface.

How far away is HD 143361 b?

HD 143361 b is about 224 light-years from Earth in the constellation Norma. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 3,933,600 years to get there.

How long is a year on HD 143361 b?

One orbit around HD 143361 takes 1,039.2 Earth days.

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