HD 96700 c
HD 96700 c is a super-Earth orbiting the G0 V star HD 96700 in the constellation Hydra. It lies about 83 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2021 using the radial velocity method.
Is HD 96700 c in the Habitable Zone?
HD 96700 c orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of HD 96700. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of HD 96700: 0.878–2.065 AU (conservative: 1.112–1.958 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 96700 c — one full orbit around HD 96700 — lasts 19.9 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.141 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. Its orbit is mildly elliptical (eccentricity 0.29).
How Was HD 96700 c Discovered?
HD 96700 c was discovered in 2021 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 96700 c?
HD 96700 c is 82.9 light-years (25.4 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1944. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 1,459,040 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 96700 c scores 0.29, ranking #1,917 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: HD 96700
HD 96700
- Spectral type
- G0 V
- Surface temperature
- 5,845 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.89 M☉
- Luminosity
- 1.3800 L☉
- Age
- 8.6 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
The HD 96700 Planetary System
HD 96700 c is one of 3 known planets in the HD 96700 system. Its siblings:
- HD 96700 b (Super Earth)
- HD 96700 d (Neptune-like)
HD 96700 c — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 3.50 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 19.88 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.141 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.293 |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.29 |
| Distance from Earth | 82.9 light-years (25.4 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Hydra |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | La Silla Observatory |
| Discovery year | 2021 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2021-11-02. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About HD 96700 c
Is HD 96700 c habitable?
No — HD 96700 c orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is HD 96700 c?
HD 96700 c is about 83 light-years from Earth in the constellation Hydra. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 1,459,040 years to get there.
How long is a year on HD 96700 c?
One orbit around HD 96700 takes 19.9 Earth days — short enough that 18 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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