RR Cae b
The parameters of this planet are disputed or ambiguous in the scientific literature.
RR Cae b is a cold gas giant orbiting the M star RR Cae in the constellation Caelum. It lies about 69 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2012 using the eclipse timing variations method.
Is RR Cae b in the Habitable Zone?
The position of RR Cae b relative to the habitable zone of RR Cae cannot be precisely determined from the available orbital data.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on RR Cae b — one full orbit around RR Cae — lasts 4,343.5 Earth days, longer than Jupiter's 12-year orbit. It orbits at an average distance of 5.300 AU.
How Was RR Cae b Discovered?
RR Cae b was discovered in 2012 using the eclipse timing variations method, with observations from Leoncito Astronomical Complex.
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.
How Far Away Is RR Cae b?
RR Cae 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. RR Cae b scores 0.07, ranking #4,963 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: RR Cae
RR Cae b is a circumbinary planet — it orbits around two stars at once, like Tatooine in Star Wars.
RR Cae
- Spectral type
- M
- Mass
- 0.44 M☉
Planetary System
RR Cae b is the only planet known to orbit RR Cae so far.
RR Cae b — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 1,334.89 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 4,343.50 days |
| Orbital distance | 5.300 AU |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.07 |
| Distance from Earth | 69.1 light-years (21.2 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Caelum |
| Discovery method | Eclipse Timing Variations |
| Discovery facility | Leoncito Astronomical Complex |
| Discovery year | 2012 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2015-08-26. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About RR Cae b
Is RR Cae b habitable?
RR Cae b is not known to orbit within the habitable zone of RR Cae, and as a cold gas giant it is an unlikely candidate for life as we know it.
How far away is RR Cae b?
RR Cae b is about 69 light-years from Earth in the constellation Caelum. 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 RR Cae b?
One orbit around RR Cae takes 4,343.5 Earth days.
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