HD 74698 b
HD 74698 b is a Neptune-like planet orbiting the G5 V star HD 74698 in the constellation Volans. It lies about 170 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2023 using the radial velocity method.
Is HD 74698 b in the Habitable Zone?
HD 74698 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of HD 74698. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of HD 74698: 1.004–2.364 AU (conservative: 1.271–2.242 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Temperature on HD 74698 b
HD 74698 b receives 123 times the stellar energy that Earth gets from the Sun.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on HD 74698 b — one full orbit around HD 74698 — lasts 15.0 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.121 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. Its orbit is mildly elliptical (eccentricity 0.10).
How Was HD 74698 b Discovered?
HD 74698 b was discovered in 2023 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 74698 b?
HD 74698 b is 169.8 light-years (52.1 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1857. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 2,988,480 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 74698 b scores 0.16, ranking #4,166 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: HD 74698
HD 74698
- Spectral type
- G5 V
- Surface temperature
- 5,783 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.04 M☉
- Radius
- 1.33 R☉
- Luminosity
- 1.7900 L☉
- Age
- 7.8 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
The HD 74698 Planetary System
HD 74698 b is one of 2 known planets in the HD 74698 system. Its siblings:
- HD 74698 c (Cold Gas Giant)
HD 74698 b — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 23.00 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 15.02 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.121 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.100 |
| Stellar irradiation | 123.00× Earth |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.16 |
| Distance from Earth | 169.8 light-years (52.1 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Volans |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | La Silla Observatory |
| Discovery year | 2023 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2023-06-27. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About HD 74698 b
Is HD 74698 b habitable?
No — HD 74698 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is HD 74698 b?
HD 74698 b is about 170 light-years from Earth in the constellation Volans. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 2,988,480 years to get there.
How long is a year on HD 74698 b?
One orbit around HD 74698 takes 15.0 Earth days — short enough that 24 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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