TOI-969 c
TOI-969 c is a cold gas giant orbiting the K V star TOI-969 in the constellation Canis Minor. It lies about 252 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2022 using the radial velocity method.
Is TOI-969 c in the Habitable Zone?
TOI-969 c orbits beyond the outer edge of the habitable zone of TOI-969. At that distance, any surface water would almost certainly be frozen.
Habitable zone of TOI-969: 0.317–0.785 AU (conservative: 0.401–0.744 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Temperature on TOI-969 c
The equilibrium temperature of TOI-969 c is about 96 K (-177 °C) — well below freezing. This estimate ignores any atmosphere, which could change surface temperatures dramatically — Earth's greenhouse effect adds about 33 °C. It receives 0.02 times the stellar energy that Earth gets from the Sun.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on TOI-969 c — one full orbit around TOI-969 — lasts 1,700.0 Earth days, longer than an Earth year. It orbits at an average distance of 2.520 AU. Its orbit is highly elliptical (eccentricity 0.63), swinging dramatically closer to and farther from its star.
How Was TOI-969 c Discovered?
TOI-969 c was discovered in 2022 using the radial velocity method, with observations from Multiple Observatories.
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 TOI-969 c?
TOI-969 c is 252.0 light-years (77.3 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1774. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 4,435,200 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. TOI-969 c scores 0.11, ranking #4,363 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: TOI-969
TOI-969
- Spectral type
- K V
- Surface temperature
- 4,435 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.73 M☉
- Radius
- 0.67 R☉
- Age
- 2.0 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
The TOI-969 Planetary System
TOI-969 c is one of 2 known planets in the TOI-969 system. Its siblings:
- TOI-969 b (Mini Neptune)
TOI-969 c — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 3,591.46 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 1,700.00 days |
| Orbital distance | 2.520 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.628 |
| Equilibrium temperature | 96 K (-177 °C) |
| Stellar irradiation | 0.02× Earth |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.11 |
| Distance from Earth | 252.0 light-years (77.3 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Canis Minor |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | Multiple Observatories |
| Discovery year | 2022 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2022-10-31. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About TOI-969 c
Is TOI-969 c habitable?
No — TOI-969 c orbits outside the habitable zone of TOI-969 and is likely too cold for liquid water on its surface.
How far away is TOI-969 c?
TOI-969 c is about 252 light-years from Earth in the constellation Canis Minor. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 4,435,200 years to get there.
How long is a year on TOI-969 c?
One orbit around TOI-969 takes 1,700.0 Earth days.
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