NGC 2682 Sand 978 b
NGC 2682 Sand 978 b is a cold gas giant orbiting the K4 III star NGC 2682 Sand 978 in the constellation Cancer. It lies about 2,681 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2017 using the radial velocity method.
Is NGC 2682 Sand 978 b in the Habitable Zone?
The position of NGC 2682 Sand 978 b relative to the habitable zone of NGC 2682 Sand 978 cannot be precisely determined from the available orbital data.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on NGC 2682 Sand 978 b — one full orbit around NGC 2682 Sand 978 — lasts 511.2 Earth days, longer than an Earth year. Its orbit is mildly elliptical (eccentricity 0.16).
How Was NGC 2682 Sand 978 b Discovered?
NGC 2682 Sand 978 b was discovered in 2017 using the radial velocity method, with observations from Multiple Observatories.
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 NGC 2682 Sand 978 b?
NGC 2682 Sand 978 b is 2,680.7 light-years (821.9 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet about 2,681 years ago. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 47,180,320 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. NGC 2682 Sand 978 b scores 0.08, ranking #4,641 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: NGC 2682 Sand 978
NGC 2682 Sand 978
- Spectral type
- K4 III
- Surface temperature
- 4,200 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.37 M☉
Planetary System
NGC 2682 Sand 978 b is the only planet known to orbit NGC 2682 Sand 978 so far.
NGC 2682 Sand 978 b — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 692.87 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 511.21 days |
| Eccentricity | 0.160 |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.08 |
| Distance from Earth | 2,680.7 light-years (821.9 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Cancer |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | Multiple Observatories |
| Discovery year | 2017 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2017-03-29. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About NGC 2682 Sand 978 b
Is NGC 2682 Sand 978 b habitable?
NGC 2682 Sand 978 b is not known to orbit within the habitable zone of NGC 2682 Sand 978, and as a cold gas giant it is an unlikely candidate for life as we know it.
How far away is NGC 2682 Sand 978 b?
NGC 2682 Sand 978 b is about 2,681 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cancer. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 47,180,320 years to get there.
How long is a year on NGC 2682 Sand 978 b?
One orbit around NGC 2682 Sand 978 takes 511.2 Earth days.
Explore NGC 2682 Sand 978 b in the app
Browse, filter and compare 6,000+ exoplanets on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch — with habitable-zone views, widgets and offline data.
