nu Oct A b
The parameters of this planet are disputed or ambiguous in the scientific literature.
nu Oct A b is a cold gas giant orbiting the K1 IV star nu Oct A in the constellation Octans. It lies about 69 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2016 using the radial velocity method.
Is nu Oct A b in the Habitable Zone?
nu Oct A b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of nu Oct A. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of nu Oct A: 2.858–6.934 AU (conservative: 3.620–6.574 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 nu Oct A b — one full orbit around nu Oct A — lasts 402.4 Earth days, longer than an Earth year. It orbits at an average distance of 1.240 AU. Its orbit is mildly elliptical (eccentricity 0.20).
How Was nu Oct A b Discovered?
nu Oct A b was discovered in 2016 using the radial velocity method, with observations from University of Canterbury Mt John 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 nu Oct A b?
nu Oct A b is 69.1 light-years (21.2 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1957. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 1,216,160 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. nu Oct A b scores 0.15, ranking #4,194 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: nu Oct A
nu Oct A b belongs to a system of 2 stars; it orbits nu Oct A.
nu Oct A
- Spectral type
- K1 IV
- Surface temperature
- 4,910 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.57 M☉
- Radius
- 5.04 R☉
- Luminosity
- 13.1999 L☉
- Age
- 2.7 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
Planetary System
nu Oct A b is the only planet known to orbit nu Oct A so far.
nu Oct A b — Complete Data
| Mass | 696.04 Earth masses (2.190 Jupiter masses) |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 402.40 days |
| Orbital distance | 1.240 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.195 |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.15 |
| Distance from Earth | 69.1 light-years (21.2 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Octans |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | University of Canterbury Mt John Observatory |
| Discovery year | 2016 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2025-06-02. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About nu Oct A b
Is nu Oct A b habitable?
No — nu Oct A b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is nu Oct A b?
nu Oct A b is about 69 light-years from Earth in the constellation Octans. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 1,216,160 years to get there.
How long is a year on nu Oct A b?
One orbit around nu Oct A takes 402.4 Earth days.
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