HD 16175 b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
HD 16175 b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star HD 16175, located approximately 195.2 light-years (59.86 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2009 by Lick 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 1875.188 Earth masses (5.9 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 4.93 g/cm³ (a terrestrial silicate-iron composition comparable to Earth (5.51 g/cm³)), a surface gravity of 11.45 g⊕ (112.29 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 135.4 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around HD 16175, HD 16175 b completes one full revolution every 990 Earth days (2.71Julian years) at a semi-major axis of 2.12 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 23.3 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). The planet follows a highly eccentric trajectory (e = 0.6, swinging from 0.848 AU at periapsis out to 3.392 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 16175 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 16175 is classified as a solar-type yellow star of spectral type G2 with an effective photospheric temperature of 5,981 K, a radius of 1.72 R☉, a mass of 1.63 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 3.397 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 3.3 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.3 dex (metal-rich relative to the Sun). From Earth, HD 16175 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 7.297 (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 16175 |
| Spectral Type | G2 |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 5,981 K |
| Stellar Radius | 1.7200 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 1.6300 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 3.397 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | 0.300 dex |
| Stellar Age | 3.300 Gyr |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 7.297 · G: 7.129 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 1 Planet |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 2.120000 AU |
| Orbital Period | 990 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 23.3 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.60000 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | 59.0000° |
| Mean Bulk Density | 4.93 g/cm³ (135.4 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 0.7164 S⊕ (~975 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 195.200 LY (59.859 pc) |