ITG 15 b
ITG 15 b
confirmed planet • updated: 2024-05-08
ITG 15 b orbits the star ITG 15 A. It was found using direct imaging — meaning astronomers took a picture of it — with data from the Gaia satellite in 2024.
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 has a mass about 21 times that of Jupiter, placing it near the boundary between giant planets and brown dwarfs. It orbits at about 435 astronomical units from its star — that’s over 400 times farther than Earth is from the Sun. Its temperature is estimated at around 2600 Kelvin, which is very hot, but we don’t know its orbit period or shape because those were not measured.
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.
ITG 15 b was first reported in 2024 using the Imaging method. The discovery is linked to observations from European Space Agency (ESA) Gaia Satellite.
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 435.000 AU.
Eccentricity is not provided here; many catalogs omit it when the solution is underconstrained.
The archive reports a mass scale of 21.0 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
ITG 15 b orbits ITG 15 A.
The system is about 444.8 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.
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.