HD 106252 b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
HD 106252 b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star HD 106252, located approximately 124.5 light-years (38.19 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2002 by Lick Observatory using the Radial Velocity detection technique (measuring periodic Doppler reflex motion in the host star's spectrum), this world measures 12.5 Earth radii (1.12 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 3178.284 Earth masses (10 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 8.97 g/cm³ (an iron-enriched, high-compression rocky core), a surface gravity of 20.34 g⊕ (199.47 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 178.4 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around HD 106252, HD 106252 b completes one full revolution every 1535 Earth days (4.2Julian years) at a semi-major axis of 2.655 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 18.8 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). The planet follows a highly eccentric trajectory (e = 0.48, swinging from 1.3806 AU at periapsis out to 3.9294 AU at apoapsis), pointing to past dynamical scattering or secular gravitational perturbations.
❄️ Thermal Regime (Cryogenic Zone): With an equilibrium temperature of 178 K (-95°C / -139°F) and an incident flux of 0.19 S⊕ (~256 W/m²), surface water and volatile species on HD 106252 b would remain locked in cryogenic ice phases unless warmed by subsurface tidal or radiogenic heating.
The host star HD 106252 is classified as a solar-type yellow star of spectral type G0 with an effective photospheric temperature of 5,874 K, a radius of 1.05 R☉, a mass of 1.05 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 1.178 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 3 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = -0.06 dex (near-solar heavy-element abundance). From Earth, HD 106252 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 7.41 (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: Lick Observatory · Catalogue Source: NASA Exoplanet Archive (IPAC / Caltech).
☀️ Host Star Telemetry
| Host Star Name | HD 106252 |
| Spectral Type | G0 |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 5,874 K |
| Stellar Radius | 1.0500 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 1.0500 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 1.178 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | -0.060 dex |
| Stellar Age | 3.000 Gyr |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 7.410 · G: 7.263 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 1 Planet |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 2.655000 AU |
| Orbital Period | 1535 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 18.8 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.48000 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | 46.0000° |
| Mean Bulk Density | 8.97 g/cm³ (178.4 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 0.1884 S⊕ (~256 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 124.500 LY (38.185 pc) |