HD 23079 b
HD 23079 b is a cold gas giant orbiting the F9.5 V star HD 23079 in the constellation Reticulum. It lies about 109 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2001 using the radial velocity method.
Is HD 23079 b in the Habitable Zone?
The position of HD 23079 b relative to the habitable zone of HD 23079 cannot be precisely determined from the available orbital data.
Habitable zone of HD 23079: 0.861–2.017 AU (conservative: 1.090–1.912 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 23079 b — one full orbit around HD 23079 — lasts 735.7 Earth days, longer than an Earth year. Its orbit is mildly elliptical (eccentricity 0.07).
How Was HD 23079 b Discovered?
HD 23079 b was discovered in 2001 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 23079 b?
HD 23079 b is 109.1 light-years (33.5 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1917. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 1,920,160 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 23079 b scores 0.36, ranking #731 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: HD 23079
HD 23079
- Spectral type
- F9.5 V
- Surface temperature
- 5,994 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.16 M☉
- Radius
- 1.08 R☉
- Luminosity
- 1.3500 L☉
- Age
- 2.6 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
The HD 23079 Planetary System
HD 23079 b is one of 2 known planets in the HD 23079 system. Its siblings:
- HD 23079 c (Super Earth)
HD 23079 b — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 845.42 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 735.74 days |
| Eccentricity | 0.073 |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.36 |
| Distance from Earth | 109.1 light-years (33.5 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Reticulum |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | Anglo-Australian Telescope |
| Discovery year | 2001 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2025-10-30. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About HD 23079 b
Is HD 23079 b habitable?
HD 23079 b is not known to orbit within the habitable zone of HD 23079, and as a cold gas giant it is an unlikely candidate for life as we know it.
How far away is HD 23079 b?
HD 23079 b is about 109 light-years from Earth in the constellation Reticulum. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 1,920,160 years to get there.
How long is a year on HD 23079 b?
One orbit around HD 23079 takes 735.7 Earth days.
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