HD 148164 b
HD 148164 b is a cold gas giant orbiting the F8 star HD 148164 in the constellation Hercules. It lies about 252 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2018 using the radial velocity method.
Is HD 148164 b in the Habitable Zone?
HD 148164 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of HD 148164. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of HD 148164: 1.081–2.530 AU (conservative: 1.369–2.399 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 148164 b — one full orbit around HD 148164 — lasts 328.6 Earth days, between the years of Mercury (88 days) and Earth (365 days). It orbits at an average distance of 0.993 AU — comparable to the inner Solar System. Its orbit is highly elliptical (eccentricity 0.59), swinging dramatically closer to and farther from its star.
How Was HD 148164 b Discovered?
HD 148164 b was discovered in 2018 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 148164 b?
HD 148164 b is 251.8 light-years (77.2 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1775. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 4,431,680 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 148164 b scores 0.31, ranking #1,166 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: HD 148164
HD 148164
- Spectral type
- F8
- Surface temperature
- 6,032 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.21 M☉
- Radius
- 1.34 R☉
- Luminosity
- 2.1380 L☉
- Age
- 2.4 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
The HD 148164 Planetary System
HD 148164 b is one of 2 known planets in the HD 148164 system. Its siblings:
- HD 148164 c (Cold Gas Giant)
HD 148164 b — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 390.93 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 328.55 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.993 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.587 |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.31 |
| Distance from Earth | 251.8 light-years (77.2 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Hercules |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | W. M. Keck Observatory |
| Discovery year | 2018 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2018-09-25. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About HD 148164 b
Is HD 148164 b habitable?
No — HD 148164 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is HD 148164 b?
HD 148164 b is about 252 light-years from Earth in the constellation Hercules. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 4,431,680 years to get there.
How long is a year on HD 148164 b?
One orbit around HD 148164 takes 328.6 Earth days.
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