HIP 94235 b
HIP 94235 b
confirmed planet • updated: 2022-05-09
HIP 94235 b circles a Sun-like star about 58 light-years away. It was found when the planet passed in front of its star, causing a tiny dip in brightness — a method called transit detection.
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 orbits very close to its star — only about 8% of Earth’s distance from the Sun — and completes one orbit in just over 7.7 days. Its orbit is slightly oval-shaped (eccentricity of 0.32). It’s about 3 times Earth’s width and has a mass roughly 379 times Earth’s, placing it in the gas giant category. The planet’s estimated temperature is around 1060 Kelvin (about 787°C or 1450°F), but this depends on assumptions since we don’t know how much starlight it actually absorbs.
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 94235 b was first reported in 2022 using the Transit method. The discovery is linked to observations from Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).
In transit work, astronomers watch for tiny, repeating dips in a star’s light as the planet passes in front of it. Follow-up observations help rule out false positives and refine the orbit.
The catalog lists an orbital period of about 7.71 days, a semi-major axis near 0.079 AU.
The orbit’s eccentricity is 0.32, which describes how stretched the orbit is.
The archive reports a mass scale of 1.2 MJ.
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
HIP 94235 b orbits HIP 94235. The star is classified as G V, which is a shorthand for temperature and color.
A temperature near 5991 K places it on the sun-like side of the main sequence. The system is about 190.8 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. Transit systems are especially valuable because they can be re‑observed for decades to detect subtle changes in timing or additional planets.