HD 102843 b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
HD 102843 b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star HD 102843, located approximately 204.7 light-years (62.76 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2019 by Las Campanas Observatory using the Radial Velocity detection technique (measuring periodic Doppler reflex motion in the host star's spectrum), this world measures 13.1 Earth radii (1.17 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 113.9 Earth masses (0.36 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 0.28 g/cm³ (a low bulk density dominated by an extended hydrogen-helium gaseous envelope), a surface gravity of 0.66 g⊕ (6.47 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 33 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around HD 102843, HD 102843 b completes one full revolution every 3090.942 Earth days (8.46Julian years) at a semi-major axis of 4.074 AU (corresponding to the middle-system regime between Mars at 1.52 AU and Jupiter at 5.20 AU). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 14.3 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). Its moderate orbital eccentricity of e = 0.11 carries the world between 3.6259 AU at periapsis and 4.5221 AU at apoapsis, driving measurable seasonal insolation cycles.
❄️ Thermal Regime (Cryogenic Zone): With an equilibrium temperature of 127 K (-146°C / -231°F) and an incident flux of 0.04 S⊕ (~60 W/m²), surface water and volatile species on HD 102843 b would remain locked in cryogenic ice phases unless warmed by subsurface tidal or radiogenic heating.
The host star HD 102843 is classified as an orange K-type star of spectral type K0 V with an effective photospheric temperature of 5,436 K, a radius of 0.9615 R☉, a mass of 0.95 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 0.724 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.16 dex (metal-rich relative to the Sun). From Earth, HD 102843 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 9.26 (accessible to binoculars and small amateur telescopes) in the Southern 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: Las Campanas Observatory · Catalogue Source: NASA Exoplanet Archive (IPAC / Caltech).
☀️ Host Star Telemetry
| Host Star Name | HD 102843 |
| Spectral Type | K0 V |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 5,436 K |
| Stellar Radius | 0.9615 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 0.9500 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 0.724 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | 0.160 dex |
| Stellar Age | — |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 9.260 · G: 9.049 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 1 Planet |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 4.074000 AU |
| Orbital Period | 3090.942 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 14.3 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.11000 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | — |
| Mean Bulk Density | 0.28 g/cm³ (33 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 0.0438 S⊕ (~60 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 204.700 LY (62.758 pc) |