HD 17674 b
HD 17674 b is a cold gas giant orbiting the G0 V star HD 17674 in the constellation Aries. It lies about 145 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2017 using the radial velocity method. It orbits within the habitable zone of its star — the region where liquid water could exist on a planet's surface.
Is HD 17674 b in the Habitable Zone?
HD 17674 b orbits inside the conservative habitable zone of HD 17674 — the region where a rocky planet could sustain liquid water on its surface. This makes it one of the most interesting known exoplanets in the search for life.
Habitable zone of HD 17674: 0.918–2.155 AU (conservative: 1.162–2.043 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 17674 b — one full orbit around HD 17674 — lasts 623.8 Earth days, longer than an Earth year. It orbits at an average distance of 1.420 AU. Its orbit is mildly elliptical (eccentricity 0.13).
How Was HD 17674 b Discovered?
HD 17674 b was discovered in 2017 using the radial velocity method, with observations from Haute-Provence 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 17674 b?
HD 17674 b is 144.9 light-years (44.4 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1882. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 2,550,240 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 17674 b scores 0.38, ranking #558 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: HD 17674
HD 17674
- Spectral type
- G0 V
- Surface temperature
- 5,904 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.98 M☉
- Radius
- 1.18 R☉
- Age
- 8.4 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
Planetary System
HD 17674 b is the only planet known to orbit HD 17674 so far.
HD 17674 b — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 276.51 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 623.80 days |
| Orbital distance | 1.420 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.130 |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.38 |
| Distance from Earth | 144.9 light-years (44.4 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Aries |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | Haute-Provence Observatory |
| Discovery year | 2017 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2017-03-02. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About HD 17674 b
Is HD 17674 b habitable?
HD 17674 b orbits within the habitable zone of HD 17674, the region where liquid water could exist on a planet's surface. It sits in the conservative habitable zone — the most promising region for habitability. Whether it is actually habitable depends on its atmosphere and composition, which remain unknown.
How far away is HD 17674 b?
HD 17674 b is about 145 light-years from Earth in the constellation Aries. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 2,550,240 years to get there.
How long is a year on HD 17674 b?
One orbit around HD 17674 takes 623.8 Earth days.
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