HIP 97166 b
HIP 97166 b is a super-Earth orbiting HIP 97166 in the constellation Draco. It lies about 215 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2021 using the transit method.
How Big Is HIP 97166 b?
HIP 97166 b has a radius of 2.48 times that of Earth. Its mass is 19.1 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 6.86 g/cm³ — comparable to rocky planets like Earth (5.51 g/cm³).
Is HIP 97166 b in the Habitable Zone?
HIP 97166 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of HIP 97166. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of HIP 97166: 0.533–1.278 AU (conservative: 0.675–1.212 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Temperature on HIP 97166 b
The equilibrium temperature of HIP 97166 b is about 702 K (429 °C) — hot enough to melt many metals. This estimate ignores any atmosphere, which could change surface temperatures dramatically — Earth's greenhouse effect adds about 33 °C.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on HIP 97166 b — one full orbit around HIP 97166 — lasts 10.3 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.091 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. Its orbit is mildly elliptical (eccentricity 0.29).
How Was HIP 97166 b Discovered?
HIP 97166 b was discovered in 2021 using the transit method, with observations from Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).
The transit method watches a star for the tiny, regular dip in brightness that occurs when a planet crosses in front of it. The depth and timing of these dips reveal the planet's size and orbital period.
How Far Away Is HIP 97166 b?
HIP 97166 b is 215.1 light-years (66.0 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1811. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 3,785,760 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. HIP 97166 b scores 0.24, ranking #3,286 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: HIP 97166
HIP 97166
- Surface temperature
- 5,216 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.93 M☉
- Radius
- 0.84 R☉
- Luminosity
- 0.4730 L☉
- Age
- 1.2 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
The HIP 97166 Planetary System
HIP 97166 b is one of 2 known planets in the HIP 97166 system. Its siblings:
- HIP 97166 c (Super Earth)
HIP 97166 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 2.480 Earth radii (0.221 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 19.10 Earth masses (0.060 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 6.86 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 10.29 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.091 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.290 |
| Equilibrium temperature | 702 K (429 °C) |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.24 |
| Distance from Earth | 215.1 light-years (66.0 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Draco |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) |
| Discovery year | 2021 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2024-07-23. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About HIP 97166 b
Is HIP 97166 b habitable?
No — HIP 97166 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is HIP 97166 b?
HIP 97166 b is about 215 light-years from Earth in the constellation Draco. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 3,785,760 years to get there.
How big is HIP 97166 b compared to Earth?
HIP 97166 b has 2.48 times the radius of Earth and about 19.1 times its mass.
How long is a year on HIP 97166 b?
One orbit around HIP 97166 takes 10.3 Earth days — short enough that 35 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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