14 Her b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
14 Her b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star 14 Her, located approximately 58.5 light-years (17.93 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2002 by W. M. Keck Observatory using the Radial Velocity detection technique (measuring periodic Doppler reflex motion in the host star's spectrum), this world measures 12.5 Earth radii (1.12 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 2828.673 Earth masses (8.9 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 7.99 g/cm³ (an iron-enriched, high-compression rocky core), a surface gravity of 18.1 g⊕ (177.5 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 168.3 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around 14 Her, 14 Her b completes one full revolution every 1766.41 Earth days (4.84Julian years) at a semi-major axis of 2.839 AU (corresponding to the middle-system regime between Mars at 1.52 AU and Jupiter at 5.20 AU). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 17.5 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). The planet follows a highly eccentric trajectory (e = 0.3683, swinging from 1.7934 AU at periapsis out to 3.8846 AU at apoapsis), pointing to past dynamical scattering or secular gravitational perturbations.
❄️ Thermal Regime (Cryogenic Zone): With an equilibrium temperature of 147 K (-126°C / -195°F) and an incident flux of 0.09 S⊕ (~119 W/m²), surface water and volatile species on 14 Her b would remain locked in cryogenic ice phases unless warmed by subsurface tidal or radiogenic heating.
The host star 14 Her is classified as an orange K-type star of spectral type K0 with an effective photospheric temperature of 5,338 K, a radius of 0.93 R☉, a mass of 0.97 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 0.63 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 4.6 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.43 dex (metal-rich relative to the Sun). From Earth, 14 Her shines at apparent V-band magnitude 6.619 (accessible to binoculars and small amateur telescopes) in the Northern celestial hemisphere. The 14 Her system is a multi-planet architecture hosting 2 confirmed worlds, with 14 Her b sharing its stellar neighborhood alongside HD 145675 c.
Methodology: Computed using the Schulze-Makuch et al. (2011) weighted metric comparing physical interior (radius, estimated density) and surface thermal regime (escape velocity, equilibrium temperature).
Discovery Facility: W. M. Keck Observatory · Catalogue Source: NASA Exoplanet Archive (IPAC / Caltech).
☀️ Host Star Telemetry
| Host Star Name | 14 Her |
| Spectral Type | K0 |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 5,338 K |
| Stellar Radius | 0.9300 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 0.9700 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 0.63 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | 0.430 dex |
| Stellar Age | 4.600 Gyr |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 6.619 · G: 6.383 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 2 Planets |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 2.839000 AU |
| Orbital Period | 1766.41 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 17.5 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.36830 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | 146.7000° |
| Mean Bulk Density | 7.99 g/cm³ (168.3 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 0.0873 S⊕ (~119 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 58.500 LY (17.932 pc) |