HAT-P-34 b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
HAT-P-34 b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star HAT-P-34, located approximately 813.2 light-years (249.33 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2011 by HATNet using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.6464% across the stellar disk), this world measures 13.417 Earth radii (1.2 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 1058.374 Earth masses (3.33 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 2.42 g/cm³ (an intermediate density indicative of a deep water-ice mantle or dense volatile envelope), a surface gravity of 5.88 g⊕ (57.66 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 99.3 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around HAT-P-34, HAT-P-34 b completes one full revolution every 5.453 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.06774 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 135.2 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). The planet follows a highly eccentric trajectory (e = 0.432, swinging from 0.0385 AU at periapsis out to 0.097 AU at apoapsis), pointing to past dynamical scattering or secular gravitational perturbations.
⚠️ Thermal Regime (Irradiated / Hot Zone): At an equilibrium temperature of 1520 K (+1247°C / +2277°F) and receiving 433.78 S⊕ (~590,375 W/m²), HAT-P-34 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.
The host star HAT-P-34 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 6,442 K, a radius of 1.53 R☉, a mass of 1.392 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 3.617 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 1.7 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.22 dex (metal-rich relative to the Sun). From Earth, HAT-P-34 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 10.403 (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: HATNet · Catalogue Source: NASA Exoplanet Archive (IPAC / Caltech).
☀️ Host Star Telemetry
| Host Star Name | HAT-P-34 |
| Spectral Type | Unclassified |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 6,442 K |
| Stellar Radius | 1.5300 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 1.3920 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 3.617 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | 0.220 dex |
| Stellar Age | 1.700 Gyr |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 10.403 · G: 10.194 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 1 Planet |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 0.067740 AU |
| Orbital Period | 5.453 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 135.2 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.43200 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | 87.1000° |
| Mean Bulk Density | 2.42 g/cm³ (99.3 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 433.7800 S⊕ (~590,375 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 813.200 LY (249.325 pc) |