HIP 70849 b
HIP 70849 b
confirmed planet • updated: 2023-09-05
HIP 70849 b orbits the star HIP 70849, a cooler, smaller star than our Sun. Scientists found it using the radial velocity method at La Silla Observatory in 2009.
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 4.5 times that of Jupiter and orbits its star in roughly 10 years (3649 days). Its orbit is very stretched out (eccentricity of 0.65), meaning it swings far from and close to its star. Because the planet’s mass is given as a direct measurement (not a minimum), we believe this is close to its true mass.
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 70849 b was first reported in 2009 using the Radial Velocity method. The discovery is linked to observations from La Silla Observatory.
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 3649.00 days, a semi-major axis near 3.990 AU.
The orbit’s eccentricity is 0.65, 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 4.5 MJ.
For radial‑velocity work this is commonly m·sin i (a minimum mass) because the orbital tilt is unknown. 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 70849 b orbits HIP 70849.
The star is classified as K7 V, which is a shorthand for temperature and color. The system is about 78.5 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.