HD 48265 c
HD 48265 c is a cold gas giant orbiting HD 48265 in the constellation Puppis. It lies about 295 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2026 using the radial velocity method.
Is HD 48265 c in the Habitable Zone?
HD 48265 c orbits beyond the outer edge of the habitable zone of HD 48265. At that distance, any surface water would almost certainly be frozen.
Habitable zone of HD 48265: 1.408–3.322 AU (conservative: 1.784–3.149 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 48265 c — one full orbit around HD 48265 — lasts 10,418.0 Earth days, longer than Jupiter's 12-year orbit. It orbits at an average distance of 10.400 AU. Its orbit is highly elliptical (eccentricity 0.41), swinging dramatically closer to and farther from its star.
How Was HD 48265 c Discovered?
HD 48265 c was discovered in 2026 using the radial velocity method, with observations from Las Campanas 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 48265 c?
HD 48265 c is 295.3 light-years (90.5 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1731. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 5,197,280 years to make the journey.
The Host Star: HD 48265
HD 48265
- Surface temperature
- 5,733 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.31 M☉
- Radius
- 1.90 R☉
- Age
- 4.2 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
The HD 48265 Planetary System
HD 48265 c is one of 2 known planets in the HD 48265 system. Its siblings:
- HD 48265 b (Cold Gas Giant)
HD 48265 c — Complete Data
| Mass | 1,414.34 Earth masses (4.450 Jupiter masses) |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 10,418.00 days |
| Orbital distance | 10.400 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.410 |
| Distance from Earth | 295.3 light-years (90.5 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Puppis |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | Las Campanas Observatory |
| Discovery year | 2026 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2026-03-12. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About HD 48265 c
Is HD 48265 c habitable?
No — HD 48265 c orbits outside the habitable zone of HD 48265 and is likely too cold for liquid water on its surface.
How far away is HD 48265 c?
HD 48265 c is about 295 light-years from Earth in the constellation Puppis. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 5,197,280 years to get there.
How long is a year on HD 48265 c?
One orbit around HD 48265 takes 10,418.0 Earth days.