HD 196067 b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
HD 196067 b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star HD 196067, located approximately 130.2 light-years (39.94 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2012 by La Silla Observatory using the Radial Velocity detection technique (measuring periodic Doppler reflex motion in the host star's spectrum), this world measures 12.4 Earth radii (1.11 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 3623.244 Earth masses (11.4 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 10.48 g/cm³ (an iron-enriched, high-compression rocky core), a surface gravity of 23.56 g⊕ (231.04 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 191.2 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around HD 196067, HD 196067 b completes one full revolution every 3413.7 Earth days (9.35Julian years) at a semi-major axis of 4.71 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 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). The planet follows a highly eccentric trajectory (e = 0.56292, swinging from 2.0586 AU at periapsis out to 7.3614 AU at apoapsis), pointing to past dynamical scattering or secular gravitational perturbations.
❄️ Thermal Regime (Cryogenic Zone): With an equilibrium temperature of 176 K (-97°C / -143°F) and an incident flux of 0.16 S⊕ (~217 W/m²), surface water and volatile species on HD 196067 b would remain locked in cryogenic ice phases unless warmed by subsurface tidal or radiogenic heating.
The host star HD 196067 is classified as a solar-type yellow star of spectral type G0 V with an effective photospheric temperature of 6,072 K, a radius of 1.71 R☉, a mass of 1.16 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 3.566 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 4.2 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.213 dex (metal-rich relative to the Sun). From Earth, HD 196067 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 6.51 (accessible to binoculars and small amateur telescopes) in the Southern celestial hemisphere. The HD 196067 system is a multi-planet architecture hosting 2 confirmed worlds, with HD 196067 b sharing its stellar neighborhood alongside HD 196067 c.
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 196067 |
| Spectral Type | G0 V |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 6,072 K |
| Stellar Radius | 1.7100 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 1.1600 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 3.566 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | 0.213 dex |
| Stellar Age | 4.200 Gyr |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 6.510 · G: 6.330 |
| System Architecture | 2 Stars, 2 Planets |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 4.710000 AU |
| Orbital Period | 3413.7 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 15 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.56292 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | 29.7000° |
| Mean Bulk Density | 10.48 g/cm³ (191.2 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 0.1596 S⊕ (~217 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 130.200 LY (39.935 pc) |