DP Leo b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
DP Leo b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star DP Leo, located approximately 997 light-years (305.68 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2009 by Yunnan Astronomical Observatory using the Eclipse Timing Variations detection technique, this world measures 12.7 Earth radii (1.13 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 1995.888 Earth masses (6.28 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 5.37 g/cm³ (a terrestrial silicate-iron composition comparable to Earth (5.51 g/cm³)), a surface gravity of 12.37 g⊕ (121.31 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 140.2 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around DP Leo, DP Leo b completes one full revolution every 10220 Earth days (27.98Julian years) at a semi-major axis of 8.19 AU (a wide outer-system orbit beyond Jupiter's 5.20 AU distance in our Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 8.7 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). The planet follows a highly eccentric trajectory (e = 0.39, swinging from 4.9959 AU at periapsis out to 11.3841 AU at apoapsis), pointing to past dynamical scattering or secular gravitational perturbations.
❄️ Thermal Regime (Cryogenic Zone): With an equilibrium temperature of 24 K (-249°C / -416°F) and an incident flux of 0.00 S⊕ (~0 W/m²), surface water and volatile species on DP Leo b would remain locked in cryogenic ice phases unless warmed by subsurface tidal or radiogenic heating.
The host star DP Leo is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 13,500 K, a radius of 0.0115 R☉, a mass of 0.69 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 0.00394 L☉. From Earth, DP Leo shines at apparent V-band magnitude 18.684 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) 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: Yunnan Astronomical Observatory · Catalogue Source: NASA Exoplanet Archive (IPAC / Caltech).
☀️ Host Star Telemetry
| Host Star Name | DP Leo |
| Spectral Type | Unclassified |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 13,500 K |
| Stellar Radius | 0.0115 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 0.6900 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 0.00394 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | — |
| Stellar Age | — |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 18.684 · G: 18.633 |
| System Architecture | 2 Stars, 1 Planet |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 8.190000 AU |
| Orbital Period | 10220 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 8.7 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.39000 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | — |
| Mean Bulk Density | 5.37 g/cm³ (140.2 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 0.0001 S⊕ (~0 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 997.000 LY (305.684 pc) |