HD 240237 b
HD 240237 b is a exoplanet orbiting HD 240237 in the constellation Cassiopeia. It lies about 3,044 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2011 using the radial velocity method.
Is HD 240237 b in the Habitable Zone?
HD 240237 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of HD 240237. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of HD 240237: 26.715–67.867 AU (conservative: 33.838–64.344 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 240237 b — one full orbit around HD 240237 — lasts 745.7 Earth days, longer than an Earth year. It orbits at an average distance of 1.920 AU. Its orbit is highly elliptical (eccentricity 0.40), swinging dramatically closer to and farther from its star.
How Was HD 240237 b Discovered?
HD 240237 b was discovered in 2011 using the radial velocity method, with observations from McDonald 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 240237 b?
HD 240237 b is 3,044.3 light-years (933.4 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet about 3,044 years ago. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 53,579,680 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 240237 b scores 0.08, ranking #4,587 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: HD 240237
HD 240237
- Surface temperature
- 3,926 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 8.76 M☉
- Radius
- 71.23 R☉
Planetary System
HD 240237 b is the only planet known to orbit HD 240237 so far.
HD 240237 b — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 5,050.32 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 745.70 days |
| Orbital distance | 1.920 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.400 |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.08 |
| Distance from Earth | 3,044.3 light-years (933.4 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Cassiopeia |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | McDonald Observatory |
| Discovery year | 2011 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2018-09-04. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About HD 240237 b
Is HD 240237 b habitable?
No — HD 240237 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is HD 240237 b?
HD 240237 b is about 3,044 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cassiopeia. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 53,579,680 years to get there.
How long is a year on HD 240237 b?
One orbit around HD 240237 takes 745.7 Earth days.
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