HU Aqr AB c
The parameters of this planet are disputed or ambiguous in the scientific literature.
HU Aqr AB c is a cold gas giant orbiting HU Aqr in the constellation Aquarius. It was discovered in 2011 using the eclipse timing variations method.
Is HU Aqr AB c in the Habitable Zone?
The position of HU Aqr AB c relative to the habitable zone of HU Aqr cannot be precisely determined from the available orbital data.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on HU Aqr AB c — one full orbit around HU Aqr — lasts 4,368.0 Earth days, longer than Jupiter's 12-year orbit. It orbits at an average distance of 5.400 AU. Its orbit is highly elliptical (eccentricity 0.51), swinging dramatically closer to and farther from its star.
How Was HU Aqr AB c Discovered?
HU Aqr AB c was discovered in 2011 using the eclipse timing variations method, with observations from Yunnan Astronomical Observatory.
Eclipse timing variations detect a planet orbiting an eclipsing pair of stars: the planet's gravity shifts the precise moments when the stars eclipse each other.
The Host Star: HU Aqr
HU Aqr AB c is a circumbinary planet — it orbits around two stars at once, like Tatooine in Star Wars.
HU Aqr
- Mass
- 0.88 M☉
The HU Aqr Planetary System
HU Aqr AB c is one of 2 known planets in the HU Aqr system. Its siblings:
- HU Aqr AB b (Cold Gas Giant)
HU Aqr AB c — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 1,430.24 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 4,368.00 days |
| Orbital distance | 5.400 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.510 |
| Constellation | Aquarius |
| Discovery method | Eclipse Timing Variations |
| Discovery facility | Yunnan Astronomical Observatory |
| Discovery year | 2011 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2019-10-18. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About HU Aqr AB c
Is HU Aqr AB c habitable?
HU Aqr AB c is not known to orbit within the habitable zone of HU Aqr, and as a cold gas giant it is an unlikely candidate for life as we know it.
How long is a year on HU Aqr AB c?
One orbit around HU Aqr takes 4,368.0 Earth days.
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