HD 63935 c
HD 63935 c
confirmed planet • updated: 2024-07-23
HD 63935 c orbits the star HD 63935, which is slightly smaller and cooler than our Sun. It was discovered in 2021 using measurements of the star’s wobble caused by the planet’s gravity.
This page summarizes a catalog entry. If a measurement is missing, it is not shown or guessed. Some values can differ slightly between studies; when that happens, we describe the range rather than picking a favorite without evidence.
Scientific context
Scientific context: This profile layers interpretation on top of archival measurements. Modeled bands appear where direct detections (like spectra or transits) are not listed.
What we can’t claim: surface conditions, biology, or breathable atmosphere without direct spectra.
This planet is about 11 times as massive as Earth and roughly 3 times wider. It orbits very close to its star — only about 0.15 times the Earth-Sun distance — completing one trip every 21 days. Its estimated temperature is around 620 Kelvin (about 350°C or 660°F), which is very hot. The orbit appears to be nearly circular, but we don’t have precise error bars for that measurement.
Glossary (plain English)
- AU: the average Earth–Sun distance.
- Semi-major axis: the planet’s average distance from its star.
- Eccentricity: how oval the orbit is (0 = circle).
- Radial velocity: finding a planet by measuring a star’s tiny “wobble.”
- m·sin i: a minimum mass estimate; the true mass can be higher if the orbit is tilted.
- Equilibrium temperature: a rough estimate from starlight alone, not a surface reading.
HD 63935 c was first reported in 2021 using the Radial Velocity method. The discovery is linked to observations from Multiple Observatories.
Radial-velocity detections come from subtle shifts in the star’s spectrum as it wobbles under the planet’s gravity. The first mass value is often a minimum (m·sin i) unless the orbit’s tilt is known.
The catalog lists an orbital period of about 21.40 days, a semi-major axis near 0.148 AU.
The orbit’s eccentricity is 0.00, which describes how stretched the orbit is. Because this is a multi‑planet system, stability is ultimately tested with dynamical (N‑body) fits; catalogs can update as models improve.
The archive reports a mass scale of 0.0 MJ.
For radial‑velocity work this is commonly m·sin i (a minimum mass) because the orbital tilt is unknown. A catalog radius is also listed, which (together with mass) helps constrain density and interior structure.
Why “m·sin i” shows up on RV planets
HD 63935 c orbits HD 63935.
A temperature near 5513 K places it on the sun-like side of the main sequence. The system is about 159.7 light‑years away.
Several key parameters are not present in this single catalog row.
Missing fields don’t mean the science is unknown—only that this particular snapshot doesn’t carry the values. As new observations arrive, archives often refresh these entries (and sometimes revise earlier numbers).
Scientists keep revisiting systems like this because each new instrument pass can tighten uncertainties: better timing improves the orbit, better spectra improves the star, and better follow‑up can confirm or refute competing solutions. Even when a planet is well‑established, refined stellar properties can shift the inferred planet size, temperature, and habitability context.