HD 6860 b
HD 6860 b is a exoplanet orbiting the M0 III star HD 6860 in the constellation Andromeda. It lies about 199 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2023 using the radial velocity method.
Is HD 6860 b in the Habitable Zone?
HD 6860 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of HD 6860. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of HD 6860: 33.323–85.183 AU (conservative: 42.209–80.760 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 6860 b — one full orbit around HD 6860 — lasts 663.9 Earth days, longer than an Earth year. It orbits at an average distance of 2.030 AU. Its orbit is mildly elliptical (eccentricity 0.28).
How Was HD 6860 b Discovered?
HD 6860 b was discovered in 2023 using the radial velocity method, with observations from Bohyunsan Optical Astronomical 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 6860 b?
HD 6860 b is 199.4 light-years (61.1 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1827. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 3,509,440 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 6860 b scores 0.08, ranking #4,746 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: HD 6860
HD 6860
- Spectral type
- M0 III
- Surface temperature
- 3,802 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 2.49 M☉
- Radius
- 86.40 R☉
- Luminosity
- 1,674.8657 L☉
Planetary System
HD 6860 b is the only planet known to orbit HD 6860 so far.
HD 6860 b — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 8,981.83 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 663.87 days |
| Orbital distance | 2.030 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.280 |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.08 |
| Distance from Earth | 199.4 light-years (61.1 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Andromeda |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | Bohyunsan Optical Astronomical Observatory |
| Discovery year | 2023 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2023-08-07. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About HD 6860 b
Is HD 6860 b habitable?
No — HD 6860 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is HD 6860 b?
HD 6860 b is about 199 light-years from Earth in the constellation Andromeda. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 3,509,440 years to get there.
How long is a year on HD 6860 b?
One orbit around HD 6860 takes 663.9 Earth days.
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