HD 68988 c
HD 68988 c is a exoplanet orbiting HD 68988 in the constellation Ursa Major. It lies about 198 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2021 using the radial velocity method.
Is HD 68988 c in the Habitable Zone?
HD 68988 c orbits beyond the outer edge of the habitable zone of HD 68988. At that distance, any surface water would almost certainly be frozen.
Habitable zone of HD 68988: 0.933–2.189 AU (conservative: 1.181–2.075 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 68988 c — one full orbit around HD 68988 — lasts 16,000.0 Earth days, longer than Jupiter's 12-year orbit. It orbits at an average distance of 13.200 AU. Its orbit is highly elliptical (eccentricity 0.45), swinging dramatically closer to and farther from its star.
How Was HD 68988 c Discovered?
HD 68988 c was discovered in 2021 using the radial velocity method, with observations from Multiple Observatories.
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 68988 c?
HD 68988 c is 198.4 light-years (60.8 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1828. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 3,491,840 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 68988 c scores 0.08, ranking #4,605 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: HD 68988
HD 68988
- Surface temperature
- 5,932 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.28 M☉
- Radius
- 1.19 R☉
The HD 68988 Planetary System
HD 68988 c is one of 2 known planets in the HD 68988 system. Its siblings:
- HD 68988 b (Hot Jupiter)
HD 68988 c — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 4,767.43 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 16,000.00 days |
| Orbital distance | 13.200 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.450 |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.08 |
| Distance from Earth | 198.4 light-years (60.8 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Ursa Major |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | Multiple Observatories |
| Discovery year | 2021 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2021-09-20. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About HD 68988 c
Is HD 68988 c habitable?
No — HD 68988 c orbits outside the habitable zone of HD 68988 and is likely too cold for liquid water on its surface.
How far away is HD 68988 c?
HD 68988 c is about 198 light-years from Earth in the constellation Ursa Major. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 3,491,840 years to get there.
How long is a year on HD 68988 c?
One orbit around HD 68988 takes 16,000.0 Earth days.
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