HD 152079 b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
HD 152079 b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star HD 152079, located approximately 286.7 light-years (87.89 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2009 by Las Campanas Observatory using the Radial Velocity detection technique (measuring periodic Doppler reflex motion in the host star's spectrum), this world measures 13.2 Earth radii (1.18 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 845.746 Earth masses (2.66 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 2.03 g/cm³ (an intermediate density indicative of a deep water-ice mantle or dense volatile envelope), a surface gravity of 4.85 g⊕ (47.56 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 89.5 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around HD 152079, HD 152079 b completes one full revolution every 2918.92 Earth days (7.99Julian years) at a semi-major axis of 4.187 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 15.6 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). The planet follows a highly eccentric trajectory (e = 0.532, swinging from 1.9595 AU at periapsis out to 6.4145 AU at apoapsis), pointing to past dynamical scattering or secular gravitational perturbations.
❄️ Thermal Regime (Cryogenic Zone): With an equilibrium temperature of 148 K (-125°C / -193°F) and an incident flux of 0.07 S⊕ (~99 W/m²), surface water and volatile species on HD 152079 b would remain locked in cryogenic ice phases unless warmed by subsurface tidal or radiogenic heating.
The host star HD 152079 is classified as a solar-type yellow star of spectral type G6 V with an effective photospheric temperature of 5,907 K, a radius of 1.128 R☉, a mass of 1.147 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 1.39 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 1.622 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.29 dex (metal-rich relative to the Sun). From Earth, HD 152079 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 9.18 (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 152079 |
| Spectral Type | G6 V |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 5,907 K |
| Stellar Radius | 1.1280 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 1.1470 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 1.39 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | 0.290 dex |
| Stellar Age | 1.622 Gyr |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 9.180 · G: 9.011 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 1 Planet |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 4.187000 AU |
| Orbital Period | 2918.92 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 15.6 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.53200 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | — |
| Mean Bulk Density | 2.03 g/cm³ (89.5 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 0.0730 S⊕ (~99 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 286.700 LY (87.889 pc) |