TOI-4961 b
TOI-4961 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting TOI-4961 in the constellation Crux. It lies about 695 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2025 using the transit method.
How Big Is TOI-4961 b?
TOI-4961 b has a radius of 12.34 times that of Earth, or 1.10 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 572 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 1.67 g/cm³ — closer to gas planets like Jupiter (1.33 g/cm³).
Is TOI-4961 b in the Habitable Zone?
TOI-4961 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of TOI-4961. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of TOI-4961: 0.609–1.452 AU (conservative: 0.772–1.377 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Temperature on TOI-4961 b
The equilibrium temperature of TOI-4961 b is about 919 K (646 °C) — hot enough to melt many metals. This estimate ignores any atmosphere, which could change surface temperatures dramatically — Earth's greenhouse effect adds about 33 °C. It receives 115 times the stellar energy that Earth gets from the Sun.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on TOI-4961 b — one full orbit around TOI-4961 — lasts 7.48 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.073 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. Its orbit is mildly elliptical (eccentricity 0.18).
How Was TOI-4961 b Discovered?
TOI-4961 b was discovered in 2025 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 TOI-4961 b?
TOI-4961 b is 695.0 light-years (213.1 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1331. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 12,232,000 years to make the journey.
The Host Star: TOI-4961
TOI-4961
- Surface temperature
- 5,380 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.91 M☉
- Radius
- 0.91 R☉
- Luminosity
- 0.6290 L☉
- Age
- 8.0 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
Planetary System
TOI-4961 b is the only planet known to orbit TOI-4961 so far.
TOI-4961 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 12.341 Earth radii (1.101 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 572.09 Earth masses (1.800 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 1.67 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 7.48 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.073 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.182 |
| Equilibrium temperature | 919 K (646 °C) |
| Stellar irradiation | 115.00× Earth |
| Distance from Earth | 695.0 light-years (213.1 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Crux |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) |
| Discovery year | 2025 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2025-07-29. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About TOI-4961 b
Is TOI-4961 b habitable?
No — TOI-4961 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is TOI-4961 b?
TOI-4961 b is about 695 light-years from Earth in the constellation Crux. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 12,232,000 years to get there.
How big is TOI-4961 b compared to Earth?
TOI-4961 b has 12.34 times the radius of Earth and about 572 times its mass.
How long is a year on TOI-4961 b?
One orbit around TOI-4961 takes 7.5 Earth days — short enough that 49 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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