HD 1502 b
HD 1502 b is a cold gas giant orbiting HD 1502 in the constellation Pisces. It lies about 623 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2011 using the radial velocity method.
Is HD 1502 b in the Habitable Zone?
HD 1502 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of HD 1502. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of HD 1502: 2.688–6.513 AU (conservative: 3.405–6.175 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 1502 b — one full orbit around HD 1502 — lasts 428.5 Earth days, longer than an Earth year. It orbits at an average distance of 1.262 AU. Its orbit is nearly circular (eccentricity 0.031).
How Was HD 1502 b Discovered?
HD 1502 b was discovered in 2011 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 1502 b?
HD 1502 b is 622.8 light-years (191.0 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1404. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 10,961,280 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 1502 b scores 0.19, ranking #3,979 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: HD 1502
HD 1502
- Surface temperature
- 4,947 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.46 M☉
- Radius
- 4.67 R☉
Planetary System
HD 1502 b is the only planet known to orbit HD 1502 so far.
HD 1502 b — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 874.03 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 428.50 days |
| Orbital distance | 1.262 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.031 |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.19 |
| Distance from Earth | 622.8 light-years (191.0 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Pisces |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | W. M. Keck Observatory |
| Discovery year | 2011 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2018-12-03. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About HD 1502 b
Is HD 1502 b habitable?
No — HD 1502 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is HD 1502 b?
HD 1502 b is about 623 light-years from Earth in the constellation Pisces. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 10,961,280 years to get there.
How long is a year on HD 1502 b?
One orbit around HD 1502 takes 428.5 Earth days.
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