HD 41004 A b
HD 41004 A b is a cold gas giant orbiting HD 41004 A in the constellation Pictor. It lies about 120 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2004 using the radial velocity method.
Is HD 41004 A b in the Habitable Zone?
The position of HD 41004 A b relative to the habitable zone of HD 41004 A cannot be precisely determined from the available orbital data.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on HD 41004 A b — one full orbit around HD 41004 A — lasts 963.0 Earth days, longer than an Earth year. Its orbit is highly elliptical (eccentricity 0.74), swinging dramatically closer to and farther from its star.
How Was HD 41004 A b Discovered?
HD 41004 A b was discovered in 2004 using the radial velocity method, with observations from La Silla 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 41004 A b?
HD 41004 A b is 119.7 light-years (36.7 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1907. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 2,106,720 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 41004 A b scores 0.24, ranking #3,308 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: HD 41004 A
HD 41004 A b belongs to a system of 2 stars; it orbits HD 41004 A.
HD 41004 A
Planetary System
HD 41004 A b is the only planet known to orbit HD 41004 A so far.
HD 41004 A b — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 807.25 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 963.00 days |
| Eccentricity | 0.740 |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.24 |
| Distance from Earth | 119.7 light-years (36.7 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Pictor |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | La Silla Observatory |
| Discovery year | 2004 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2014-12-03. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About HD 41004 A b
Is HD 41004 A b habitable?
HD 41004 A b is not known to orbit within the habitable zone of HD 41004 A, and as a cold gas giant it is an unlikely candidate for life as we know it.
How far away is HD 41004 A b?
HD 41004 A b is about 120 light-years from Earth in the constellation Pictor. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 2,106,720 years to get there.
How long is a year on HD 41004 A b?
One orbit around HD 41004 A takes 963.0 Earth days.
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