HD 86728 b
HD 86728 b is a super-Earth orbiting HD 86728 in the constellation Leo Minor. It lies about 49 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2025 using the radial velocity method.
Is HD 86728 b in the Habitable Zone?
HD 86728 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of HD 86728. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of HD 86728: 0.886–2.096 AU (conservative: 1.122–1.987 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Orbit and Year Length
A year on HD 86728 b — one full orbit around HD 86728 — lasts 31.2 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.192 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. Its orbit is mildly elliptical (eccentricity 0.07).
How Was HD 86728 b Discovered?
HD 86728 b was discovered in 2025 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 86728 b?
HD 86728 b is 48.7 light-years (14.9 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1978. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 857,120 years to make the journey.
The Host Star: HD 86728
HD 86728
- Surface temperature
- 5,610 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.97 M☉
- Radius
- 1.24 R☉
- Luminosity
- 1.3650 L☉
Planetary System
HD 86728 b is the only planet known to orbit HD 86728 so far.
HD 86728 b — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 9.43 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 31.15 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.192 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.067 |
| Distance from Earth | 48.7 light-years (14.9 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Leo Minor |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | Multiple Observatories |
| Discovery year | 2025 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2024-12-16. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About HD 86728 b
Is HD 86728 b habitable?
No — HD 86728 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is HD 86728 b?
HD 86728 b is about 49 light-years from Earth in the constellation Leo Minor. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 857,120 years to get there.
How long is a year on HD 86728 b?
One orbit around HD 86728 takes 31.2 Earth days — short enough that 12 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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