BD+37 3172 b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
BD+37 3172 b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star BD+37 3172, located approximately 1481.6 light-years (454.25 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2023 by McDonald Observatory using the Radial Velocity detection technique (measuring periodic Doppler reflex motion in the host star's spectrum), this world measures 12.4 Earth radii (1.11 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 3368.981 Earth masses (10.6 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 9.74 g/cm³ (an iron-enriched, high-compression rocky core), a surface gravity of 21.91 g⊕ (214.86 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 184.4 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around BD+37 3172, BD+37 3172 b completes one full revolution every 1887.76 Earth days (5.17Julian years) at a semi-major axis of 4.65 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 26.8 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). The planet follows a highly eccentric trajectory (e = 0.59, swinging from 1.9065 AU at periapsis out to 7.3935 AU at apoapsis), pointing to past dynamical scattering or secular gravitational perturbations.
⚠️ Thermal Regime (Irradiated / Hot Zone): At an equilibrium temperature of 713 K (+440°C / +824°F) and receiving 32.00 S⊕ (~43,546 W/m²), BD+37 3172 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.
The host star BD+37 3172 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 4,500 K, a radius of 50.24 R☉, a mass of 3.75 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 928.622 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates a metallicity of [Fe/H] = -0.03 dex (near-solar heavy-element abundance). From Earth, BD+37 3172 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 9.162 (accessible to binoculars and small amateur telescopes) in the Northern celestial hemisphere.
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: McDonald Observatory · Catalogue Source: NASA Exoplanet Archive (IPAC / Caltech).
☀️ Host Star Telemetry
| Host Star Name | BD+37 3172 |
| Spectral Type | Unclassified |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 4,500 K |
| Stellar Radius | 50.2400 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 3.7500 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 928.622 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | -0.030 dex |
| Stellar Age | — |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 9.162 · G: 8.848 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 1 Planet |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 4.650000 AU |
| Orbital Period | 1887.76 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 26.8 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.59000 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | — |
| Mean Bulk Density | 9.74 g/cm³ (184.4 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 31.9959 S⊕ (~43,546 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 1481.600 LY (454.251 pc) |