HD 89744 b
HD 89744 b is a cold gas giant orbiting HD 89744 in the constellation Ursa Major. It lies about 126 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 1999 using the radial velocity method.
Is HD 89744 b in the Habitable Zone?
The position of HD 89744 b relative to the habitable zone of HD 89744 cannot be precisely determined from the available orbital data.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on HD 89744 b — one full orbit around HD 89744 — lasts 256.8 Earth days, between the years of Mercury (88 days) and Earth (365 days). It orbits at an average distance of 0.917 AU — comparable to the inner Solar System. Its orbit is highly elliptical (eccentricity 0.68), swinging dramatically closer to and farther from its star.
How Was HD 89744 b Discovered?
HD 89744 b was discovered in 1999 using the radial velocity method, with observations from Fred Lawrence Whipple 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 89744 b?
HD 89744 b is 126.0 light-years (38.6 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1900. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 2,217,600 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 89744 b scores 0.16, ranking #4,125 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: HD 89744
HD 89744 b belongs to a system of 2 stars; it orbits HD 89744.
HD 89744
- Surface temperature
- 6,291 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.86 M☉
Planetary System
HD 89744 b is the only planet known to orbit HD 89744 so far.
HD 89744 b — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 2,653.88 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 256.78 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.917 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.677 |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.16 |
| Distance from Earth | 126.0 light-years (38.6 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Ursa Major |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory |
| Discovery year | 1999 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2019-03-11. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About HD 89744 b
Is HD 89744 b habitable?
HD 89744 b is not known to orbit within the habitable zone of HD 89744, and as a cold gas giant it is an unlikely candidate for life as we know it.
How far away is HD 89744 b?
HD 89744 b is about 126 light-years from Earth in the constellation Ursa Major. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 2,217,600 years to get there.
How long is a year on HD 89744 b?
One orbit around HD 89744 takes 256.8 Earth days.
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