Ross 458 c
Ross 458 c is a cold gas giant orbiting Ross 458 in the constellation Virgo. It lies about 38 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2010 using the imaging method.
How Big Is Ross 458 c?
Ross 458 c has a radius of 14.01 times that of Earth, or 1.25 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 1,907 times that of Earth.
Is Ross 458 c in the Habitable Zone?
The position of Ross 458 c relative to the habitable zone of Ross 458 cannot be precisely determined from the available orbital data.
Orbit and Year Length
Ross 458 c orbits at an average distance of 1,100.000 AU.
How Was Ross 458 c Discovered?
Ross 458 c was discovered in 2010 using the imaging method, with observations from Las Campanas Observatory.
Direct imaging captures actual pictures of a planet by blocking out the overwhelming glare of its host star. It works best for young, hot, massive planets on wide orbits.
How Far Away Is Ross 458 c?
Ross 458 c is 37.5 light-years (11.5 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1989. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 660,000 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. Ross 458 c scores 0.06, ranking #5,070 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: Ross 458
Ross 458 c is a circumbinary planet — it orbits around two stars at once, like Tatooine in Star Wars.
Ross 458
- Age
- 0.5 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
Planetary System
Ross 458 c is the only planet known to orbit Ross 458 so far.
Ross 458 c — Complete Data
| Radius | 14.011 Earth radii (1.250 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 1,906.98 Earth masses (6.000 Jupiter masses) |
| Orbital distance | 1,100.000 AU |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.06 |
| Distance from Earth | 37.5 light-years (11.5 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Discovery method | Imaging |
| Discovery facility | Las Campanas Observatory |
| Discovery year | 2010 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2020-09-18. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ross 458 c
Is Ross 458 c habitable?
Ross 458 c is not known to orbit within the habitable zone of Ross 458, and as a cold gas giant it is an unlikely candidate for life as we know it.
How far away is Ross 458 c?
Ross 458 c is about 38 light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 660,000 years to get there.
How big is Ross 458 c compared to Earth?
Ross 458 c has 14.01 times the radius of Earth and about 1,907 times its mass.
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