HAT-P-60 b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
HAT-P-60 b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star HAT-P-60, located approximately 760.7 light-years (233.22 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2021 by HATNet using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.582% across the stellar disk), this world measures 18.282 Earth radii (1.63 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 182.434 Earth masses (0.57 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 0.16 g/cm³ (a low bulk density dominated by an extended hydrogen-helium gaseous envelope), a surface gravity of 0.55 g⊕ (5.39 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 35.3 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around HAT-P-60, HAT-P-60 b completes one full revolution every 4.795 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.06277 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 142.4 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). The planet follows a highly eccentric trajectory (e = 0.25, swinging from 0.0471 AU at periapsis out to 0.0785 AU at apoapsis), pointing to past dynamical scattering or secular gravitational perturbations.
⚠️ Thermal Regime (Irradiated / Hot Zone): At an equilibrium temperature of 1772 K (+1499°C / +2730°F) and receiving 1,634.00 S⊕ (~2,223,874 W/m²), HAT-P-60 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.
The host star HAT-P-60 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 6,212 K, a radius of 2.197 R☉, a mass of 1.435 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 6.449 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 2.765 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.037 dex (near-solar heavy-element abundance). From Earth, HAT-P-60 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 9.727 (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: HATNet · Catalogue Source: NASA Exoplanet Archive (IPAC / Caltech).
☀️ Host Star Telemetry
| Host Star Name | HAT-P-60 |
| Spectral Type | Unclassified |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 6,212 K |
| Stellar Radius | 2.1970 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 1.4350 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 6.449 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | 0.037 dex |
| Stellar Age | 2.765 Gyr |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 9.727 · G: 9.564 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 1 Planet |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 0.062770 AU |
| Orbital Period | 4.795 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 142.4 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.25000 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | 83.7500° |
| Mean Bulk Density | 0.16 g/cm³ (35.3 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 1634.0000 S⊕ (~2,223,874 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 760.700 LY (233.220 pc) |