CoRoT-20 b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
CoRoT-20 b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star CoRoT-20, located approximately 2753 light-years (844.06 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2011 by CoRoT using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.7163% across the stellar disk), this world measures 9.416 Earth radii (0.84 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 1366.669 Earth masses (4.3 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 9.03 g/cm³ (an iron-enriched, high-compression rocky core), a surface gravity of 15.41 g⊕ (151.12 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 134.8 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around CoRoT-20, CoRoT-20 b completes one full revolution every 9.243 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.09 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 105.9 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). The planet follows a highly eccentric trajectory (e = 0.59, swinging from 0.0369 AU at periapsis out to 0.1431 AU at apoapsis), pointing to past dynamical scattering or secular gravitational perturbations.
⚠️ Thermal Regime (Irradiated / Hot Zone): At an equilibrium temperature of 1024 K (+751°C / +1384°F) and receiving 180.87 S⊕ (~246,165 W/m²), CoRoT-20 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.
The host star CoRoT-20 is classified as a solar-type yellow star of spectral type G2 V with an effective photospheric temperature of 5,880 K, a radius of 1.02 R☉, a mass of 1.14 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 1.116 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 0.1 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.14 dex (metal-rich relative to the Sun). From Earth, CoRoT-20 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 14.63 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Northern celestial hemisphere. The CoRoT-20 system is a multi-planet architecture hosting 2 confirmed worlds, with CoRoT-20 b sharing its stellar neighborhood alongside CoRoT-20 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: CoRoT · Catalogue Source: NASA Exoplanet Archive (IPAC / Caltech).
☀️ Host Star Telemetry
| Host Star Name | CoRoT-20 |
| Spectral Type | G2 V |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 5,880 K |
| Stellar Radius | 1.0200 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 1.1400 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 1.116 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | 0.140 dex |
| Stellar Age | 0.100 Gyr |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 14.630 · G: 14.469 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 2 Planets |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 0.090000 AU |
| Orbital Period | 9.243 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 105.9 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.59000 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | 88.2100° |
| Mean Bulk Density | 9.03 g/cm³ (134.8 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 180.8704 S⊕ (~246,165 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 2753.000 LY (844.061 pc) |