HIP 66074 b
HIP 66074 b
derived planet • updated: 2023-10-24
HIP 66074 b orbits a cool, small star called HIP 66074. Scientists found it by measuring tiny wobbles in the star’s position across the sky — a technique called astrometry — using data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia satellite.
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 has a mass about 5 times that of Jupiter and orbits its star at an average distance of 0.8 times Earth’s distance from the Sun. Its orbit is extremely stretched out (eccentricity of 0.948), meaning it swings very close to and far from its star during each orbit. Because it was found by astrometry, we know its true mass — not just a minimum estimate — but we don’t know its size or what its atmosphere might be like.
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.
HIP 66074 b was first reported in 2023 using the Astrometry method.
The discovery is linked to observations from European Space Agency (ESA) Gaia Satellite. Different methods emphasize different strengths: some constrain size, some constrain mass, and some constrain both.
The catalog lists an orbital period of about 310.90 days, a semi-major axis near 0.799 AU.
The orbit’s eccentricity is 0.95, which describes how stretched the orbit is. A higher eccentricity can imply stronger past interactions or migration, and it can matter for long‑term stability in multi‑planet systems.
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
HIP 66074 b orbits HIP 66074.
A temperature near 4300 K places it on the cool side of the main sequence. The system is about 115.6 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, catalog equilibrium temperature. 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.