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HD 216435 b

Cold Gas Giant Grus

HD 216435 b is a cold gas giant orbiting HD 216435 in the constellation Grus. It lies about 108 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2002 using the radial velocity method.

400×Earth mass
1,311 dOrbital period
0.36Earth similarity
108 lyDistance
2002Discovered

Is HD 216435 b in the Habitable Zone?

The position of HD 216435 b relative to the habitable zone of HD 216435 cannot be precisely determined from the available orbital data.

Orbit and Year Length

A year on HD 216435 b — one full orbit around HD 216435 — lasts 1,311.0 Earth days, longer than an Earth year. It orbits at an average distance of 2.560 AU. Its orbit is mildly elliptical (eccentricity 0.07).

How Was HD 216435 b Discovered?

HD 216435 b was discovered in 2002 using the radial velocity method, with observations from Anglo-Australian Telescope.

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 216435 b?

HD 216435 b is 107.6 light-years (33.0 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1919. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 1,893,760 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 216435 b scores 0.36, ranking #727 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.

The Host Star: HD 216435

HD 216435

Surface temperature
5,999 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
Mass
1.30 M☉
Age
3.0 billion years (Sun: 4.6)

Planetary System

HD 216435 b is the only planet known to orbit HD 216435 so far.

HD 216435 b — Complete Data

Mass (best estimate)400.40 Earth masses
Orbital period1,311.00 days
Orbital distance2.560 AU
Eccentricity0.070
Earth Similarity Index0.36
Distance from Earth107.6 light-years (33.0 parsecs)
ConstellationGrus
Discovery methodRadial Velocity
Discovery facilityAnglo-Australian Telescope
Discovery year2002

Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2014-07-23. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.

Frequently Asked Questions About HD 216435 b

Is HD 216435 b habitable?

HD 216435 b is not known to orbit within the habitable zone of HD 216435, and as a cold gas giant it is an unlikely candidate for life as we know it.

How far away is HD 216435 b?

HD 216435 b is about 108 light-years from Earth in the constellation Grus. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 1,893,760 years to get there.

How long is a year on HD 216435 b?

One orbit around HD 216435 takes 1,311.0 Earth days.

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