HD 56414 b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
HD 56414 b is a confirmed sub-neptune exoplanet orbiting the star HD 56414, located approximately 887.9 light-years (272.22 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2022 by Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.0377% across the stellar disk), this world measures 3.71 Earth radii (0.33 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 13.3 Earth masses. Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 1.44 g/cm³ (a low bulk density dominated by an extended hydrogen-helium gaseous envelope), a surface gravity of 0.97 g⊕ (9.51 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 21.2 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around HD 56414, HD 56414 b completes one full revolution every 29.05 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.229 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 85.8 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). The planet follows a highly eccentric trajectory (e = 0.68, swinging from 0.0733 AU at periapsis out to 0.3847 AU at apoapsis), pointing to past dynamical scattering or secular gravitational perturbations.
⚠️ Thermal Regime (Irradiated / Hot Zone): At an equilibrium temperature of 1133 K (+860°C / +1580°F) and receiving 1,614.36 S⊕ (~2,197,138 W/m²), HD 56414 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.
The host star HD 56414 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 8,500 K, a radius of 1.751 R☉, a mass of 1.89 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 14.359 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 0.42 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0 dex (near-solar heavy-element abundance). From Earth, HD 56414 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 9.217 (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: Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) · Catalogue Source: NASA Exoplanet Archive (IPAC / Caltech).
☀️ Host Star Telemetry
| Host Star Name | HD 56414 |
| Spectral Type | Unclassified |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 8,500 K |
| Stellar Radius | 1.7510 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 1.8900 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 14.359 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | 0.000 dex |
| Stellar Age | 0.420 Gyr |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 9.217 · G: 9.205 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 1 Planet |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 0.229000 AU |
| Orbital Period | 29.05 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 85.8 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.68000 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | 89.3000° |
| Mean Bulk Density | 1.44 g/cm³ (21.2 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 1614.3559 S⊕ (~2,197,138 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 887.900 LY (272.217 pc) |