HD 142022 A b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
HD 142022 A b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star HD 142022 A, located approximately 111.8 light-years (34.28 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2005 by La Silla Observatory using the Radial Velocity detection technique (measuring periodic Doppler reflex motion in the host star's spectrum), this world measures 12.9 Earth radii (1.15 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 1433.406 Earth masses (4.51 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 3.68 g/cm³ (an intermediate density indicative of a deep water-ice mantle or dense volatile envelope), a surface gravity of 8.61 g⊕ (84.44 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 117.9 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around HD 142022 A, HD 142022 A b completes one full revolution every 1928 Earth days (5.28Julian years) at a semi-major axis of 2.93 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 16.5 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). The planet follows a highly eccentric trajectory (e = 0.53, swinging from 1.3771 AU at periapsis out to 4.4829 AU at apoapsis), pointing to past dynamical scattering or secular gravitational perturbations.
❄️ Thermal Regime (Cryogenic Zone): With an equilibrium temperature of 156 K (-117°C / -179°F) and an incident flux of 0.12 S⊕ (~160 W/m²), surface water and volatile species on HD 142022 A b would remain locked in cryogenic ice phases unless warmed by subsurface tidal or radiogenic heating.
The host star HD 142022 A is classified as a solar-type yellow star of spectral type G9 IV-V with an effective photospheric temperature of 5,421 K, a radius of 1.04 R☉, a mass of 0.9 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 0.838 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 7 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.19 dex (metal-rich relative to the Sun). From Earth, HD 142022 A shines at apparent V-band magnitude 7.7 (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: La Silla Observatory · Catalogue Source: NASA Exoplanet Archive (IPAC / Caltech).
☀️ Host Star Telemetry
| Host Star Name | HD 142022 A |
| Spectral Type | G9 IV-V |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 5,421 K |
| Stellar Radius | 1.0400 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 0.9000 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 0.838 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | 0.190 dex |
| Stellar Age | 7.000 Gyr |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 7.700 · G: 7.514 |
| System Architecture | 2 Stars, 1 Planet |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 2.930000 AU |
| Orbital Period | 1928 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 16.5 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.53000 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | 71.0000° |
| Mean Bulk Density | 3.68 g/cm³ (117.9 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 0.1176 S⊕ (~160 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 111.800 LY (34.280 pc) |