WD 1856+534 b
WD 1856+534 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting the DC star WD 1856+534 in the constellation Draco. It lies about 81 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2020 using the transit method.
How Big Is WD 1856+534 b?
WD 1856+534 b has a radius of 10.40 times that of Earth, or 0.93 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 4,386 times that of Earth.
Is WD 1856+534 b in the Habitable Zone?
WD 1856+534 b orbits beyond the outer edge of the habitable zone of WD 1856+534. At that distance, any surface water would almost certainly be frozen.
Habitable zone of WD 1856+534: 0.007–0.017 AU (conservative: 0.009–0.016 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Temperature on WD 1856+534 b
The equilibrium temperature of WD 1856+534 b is about 163 K (-110 °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 0.18 times the stellar energy that Earth gets from the Sun.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on WD 1856+534 b — one full orbit around WD 1856+534 — lasts just 33.8 hours, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.020 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun.
How Was WD 1856+534 b Discovered?
WD 1856+534 b was discovered in 2020 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 WD 1856+534 b?
WD 1856+534 b is 80.7 light-years (24.7 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1946. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 1,420,320 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. WD 1856+534 b scores 0.24, ranking #3,343 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: WD 1856+534
WD 1856+534 b belongs to a system of 3 stars; it orbits WD 1856+534.
WD 1856+534
- Spectral type
- DC
- Surface temperature
- 4,710 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.52 M☉
- Radius
- 0.01 R☉
- Age
- 7.9 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
Planetary System
WD 1856+534 b is the only planet known to orbit WD 1856+534 so far.
WD 1856+534 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 10.400 Earth radii (0.928 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 4,386.05 Earth masses (13.800 Jupiter masses) |
| Orbital period | 1.41 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.020 AU |
| Equilibrium temperature | 163 K (-110 °C) |
| Stellar irradiation | 0.18× Earth |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.24 |
| Distance from Earth | 80.7 light-years (24.7 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Draco |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) |
| Discovery year | 2020 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2020-12-10. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About WD 1856+534 b
Is WD 1856+534 b habitable?
No — WD 1856+534 b orbits outside the habitable zone of WD 1856+534 and is likely too cold for liquid water on its surface.
How far away is WD 1856+534 b?
WD 1856+534 b is about 81 light-years from Earth in the constellation Draco. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 1,420,320 years to get there.
How big is WD 1856+534 b compared to Earth?
WD 1856+534 b has 10.40 times the radius of Earth and about 4,386 times its mass.
How long is a year on WD 1856+534 b?
One orbit around WD 1856+534 takes 1.4 Earth days — short enough that 259 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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