HD 132406 b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
HD 132406 b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star HD 132406, located approximately 230.9 light-years (70.78 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2007 by Haute-Provence Observatory using the Radial Velocity detection technique (measuring periodic Doppler reflex motion in the host star's spectrum), this world measures 12.8 Earth radii (1.14 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 1887.901 Earth masses (5.94 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 4.96 g/cm³ (a terrestrial silicate-iron composition comparable to Earth (5.51 g/cm³)), a surface gravity of 11.52 g⊕ (112.97 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 135.8 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around HD 132406, HD 132406 b completes one full revolution every 908 Earth days (2.49Julian years) at a semi-major axis of 1.98 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 23.7 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). The planet follows a highly eccentric trajectory (e = 0.25, swinging from 1.485 AU at periapsis out to 2.475 AU at apoapsis), pointing to past dynamical scattering or secular gravitational perturbations.
☁️ Atmospheric Regime (Volatile / Gas Envelope): With a radius of 12.800 R⊕, HD 132406 b exceeds the empirical ~1.8–2.2 R⊕ Fulton radius valley threshold, indicating a substantial hydrogen-helium or supercritical volatile envelope without a conventional solid terrestrial surface.
The host star HD 132406 is classified as a solar-type yellow star of spectral type G0 V with an effective photospheric temperature of 5,766 K, a radius of 1.34 R☉, a mass of 0.973 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 1.781 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 7.187 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.129 dex (metal-rich relative to the Sun). From Earth, HD 132406 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 8.45 (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: Haute-Provence Observatory · Catalogue Source: NASA Exoplanet Archive (IPAC / Caltech).
☀️ Host Star Telemetry
| Host Star Name | HD 132406 |
| Spectral Type | G0 V |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 5,766 K |
| Stellar Radius | 1.3400 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 0.9730 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 1.781 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | 0.129 dex |
| Stellar Age | 7.187 Gyr |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 8.450 · G: 8.281 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 1 Planet |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 1.980000 AU |
| Orbital Period | 908 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 23.7 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.25000 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | 122.0000° |
| Mean Bulk Density | 4.96 g/cm³ (135.8 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 0.4641 S⊕ (~632 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 230.900 LY (70.783 pc) |