TIC 52059926 b
TIC 52059926 b is a cold gas giant orbiting the K4.5 V star TIC 52059926 in the constellation Tucana. It lies about 706 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2026 using the transit method. It orbits within the habitable zone of its star — the region where liquid water could exist on a planet's surface.
How Big Is TIC 52059926 b?
TIC 52059926 b has a radius of 10.71 times that of Earth, or 0.96 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 5,380 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 24.10 g/cm³ — comparable to rocky planets like Earth (5.51 g/cm³).
Is TIC 52059926 b in the Habitable Zone?
TIC 52059926 b orbits inside the conservative habitable zone of TIC 52059926 — the region where a rocky planet could sustain liquid water on its surface. This makes it one of the most interesting known exoplanets in the search for life.
Habitable zone of TIC 52059926: 0.349–0.861 AU (conservative: 0.441–0.816 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 ›
Temperature on TIC 52059926 b
The equilibrium temperature of TIC 52059926 b is about 230 K (-44 °C) — well below freezing. This estimate ignores any atmosphere, which could change surface temperatures dramatically — Earth's greenhouse effect adds about 33 °C.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on TIC 52059926 b — one full orbit around TIC 52059926 — lasts 175.5 Earth days, between the years of Mercury (88 days) and Earth (365 days). It orbits at an average distance of 0.553 AU — comparable to the inner Solar System. Its orbit is highly elliptical (eccentricity 0.51), swinging dramatically closer to and farther from its star.
How Was TIC 52059926 b Discovered?
TIC 52059926 b was discovered in 2026 using the transit method, with observations from Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).
The transit method watches a star for the tiny, regular dip in brightness that occurs when a planet crosses in front of it. The depth and timing of these dips reveal the planet's size and orbital period.
How Far Away Is TIC 52059926 b?
TIC 52059926 b is 706.4 light-years (216.6 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1320. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 12,432,640 years to make the journey.
The Host Star: TIC 52059926
TIC 52059926
- Spectral type
- K4.5 V
- Surface temperature
- 4,505 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.73 M☉
- Radius
- 0.72 R☉
- Luminosity
- 0.1900 L☉
- Age
- 8.2 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
Planetary System
TIC 52059926 b is the only planet known to orbit TIC 52059926 so far.
TIC 52059926 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 10.710 Earth radii (0.955 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 5,380.00 Earth masses (16.900 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 24.10 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 175.53 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.553 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.510 |
| Equilibrium temperature | 230 K (-44 °C) |
| Distance from Earth | 706.4 light-years (216.6 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Tucana |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) |
| Discovery year | 2026 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2026-07-02. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About TIC 52059926 b
Is TIC 52059926 b habitable?
TIC 52059926 b orbits within the habitable zone of TIC 52059926, the region where liquid water could exist on a planet's surface. It sits in the conservative habitable zone — the most promising region for habitability. Whether it is actually habitable depends on its atmosphere and composition, which remain unknown.
How far away is TIC 52059926 b?
TIC 52059926 b is about 706 light-years from Earth in the constellation Tucana. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 12,432,640 years to get there.
How big is TIC 52059926 b compared to Earth?
TIC 52059926 b has 10.71 times the radius of Earth and about 5,380 times its mass.
How long is a year on TIC 52059926 b?
One orbit around TIC 52059926 takes 175.5 Earth days.
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