HD 98649 b
HD 98649 b is a cold gas giant orbiting the G3/G5 V star HD 98649 in the constellation Crater. It lies about 138 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2012 using the radial velocity method.
Is HD 98649 b in the Habitable Zone?
The position of HD 98649 b relative to the habitable zone of HD 98649 cannot be precisely determined from the available orbital data.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on HD 98649 b — one full orbit around HD 98649 — lasts 5,384.0 Earth days, longer than Jupiter's 12-year orbit. It orbits at an average distance of 5.970 AU. Its orbit is highly elliptical (eccentricity 0.85), swinging dramatically closer to and farther from its star.
How Was HD 98649 b Discovered?
HD 98649 b was discovered in 2012 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 98649 b?
HD 98649 b is 137.5 light-years (42.2 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1889. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 2,420,000 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 98649 b scores 0.12, ranking #4,345 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: HD 98649
HD 98649
- Spectral type
- G3/G5 V
- Mass
- 0.97 M☉
- Luminosity
- 0.9680 L☉
- Age
- 4.4 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
Planetary System
HD 98649 b is the only planet known to orbit HD 98649 so far.
HD 98649 b — Complete Data
| Mass | 3,082.94 Earth masses (9.700 Jupiter masses) |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 5,384.00 days |
| Orbital distance | 5.970 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.852 |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.12 |
| Distance from Earth | 137.5 light-years (42.2 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Crater |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | La Silla Observatory |
| Discovery year | 2012 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2022-06-27. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About HD 98649 b
Is HD 98649 b habitable?
HD 98649 b is not known to orbit within the habitable zone of HD 98649, and as a cold gas giant it is an unlikely candidate for life as we know it.
How far away is HD 98649 b?
HD 98649 b is about 138 light-years from Earth in the constellation Crater. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 2,420,000 years to get there.
How long is a year on HD 98649 b?
One orbit around HD 98649 takes 5,384.0 Earth days.
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