HAT-P-50 b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
HAT-P-50 b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star HAT-P-50, located approximately 1681.2 light-years (515.46 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2015 by HATNet using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.6076% across the stellar disk), this world measures 14.437 Earth radii (1.29 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 429.071 Earth masses (1.35 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 0.79 g/cm³ (a low bulk density dominated by an extended hydrogen-helium gaseous envelope), a surface gravity of 2.06 g⊕ (20.2 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 61 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around HAT-P-50, HAT-P-50 b completes one full revolution every 3.122 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.0453 AU (an ultra-close orbit less than one-seventh of Mercury's 0.387 AU distance from the Sun, where strong stellar tidal forces typically induce synchronous rotation). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 157.9 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). Its moderate orbital eccentricity of e = 0.115 carries the world between 0.0401 AU at periapsis and 0.0505 AU at apoapsis, driving measurable seasonal insolation cycles.
⚠️ Thermal Regime (Irradiated / Hot Zone): At an equilibrium temperature of 1862 K (+1589°C / +2892°F) and receiving 2,108.44 S⊕ (~2,869,582 W/m²), HAT-P-50 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.
The host star HAT-P-50 is classified as a warm F-type star of spectral type F5 with an effective photospheric temperature of 6,280 K, a radius of 1.698 R☉, a mass of 1.273 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 4.023 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 3.37 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = -0.18 dex (metal-poor relative to the Sun). From Earth, HAT-P-50 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 11.703 (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-50 |
| Spectral Type | F5 |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 6,280 K |
| Stellar Radius | 1.6980 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 1.2730 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 4.023 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | -0.180 dex |
| Stellar Age | 3.370 Gyr |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 11.703 · G: 11.672 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 1 Planet |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 0.045300 AU |
| Orbital Period | 3.122 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 157.9 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.11500 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | 83.6500° |
| Mean Bulk Density | 0.79 g/cm³ (61 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 2108.4362 S⊕ (~2,869,582 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 1681.200 LY (515.458 pc) |