HD 95086 b
HD 95086 b
confirmed planet • updated: 2014-05-14
HD 95086 b was spotted directly through a telescope at Paranal Observatory in 2013. Unlike most planets found indirectly, this one was seen as a faint dot next to its bright star.
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 object orbits about 56 times farther from its star than Earth is from the Sun. Its mass is estimated to be around 5 times that of Jupiter, though some studies suggest it could be as low as 4.5 or as high as 7.2 Jupiter masses. Because it was imaged directly, we don’t yet know how long it takes to complete one orbit or how elliptical its path is.
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 95086 b was first reported in 2013 using the Imaging method. The discovery is linked to observations from Paranal Observatory.
Direct imaging tries to separate faint planetary light from the glare of the host star. It works best for young, warm planets far from their stars.
The catalog lists a semi-major axis near 55.700 AU.
Eccentricity is not provided here; many catalogs omit it when the solution is underconstrained.
The archive reports a mass scale of 5.0 MJ.
A rough radius estimate is shown for UI completeness, but it should not be treated as a measurement.
Why “m·sin i” shows up on RV planets
HD 95086 b orbits HD 95086.
The system is about 281.2 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.
In this case the most noticeable gaps are: radius, orbital period, eccentricity. 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.