HD 60292 b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
HD 60292 b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star HD 60292, located approximately 1028.1 light-years (315.21 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2020 by Bohyunsan Optical Astronomical Observatory using the Radial Velocity detection technique (measuring periodic Doppler reflex motion in the host star's spectrum), this world measures 12.7 Earth radii (1.13 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 2065.895 Earth masses (6.5 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 5.56 g/cm³ (a terrestrial silicate-iron composition comparable to Earth (5.51 g/cm³)), a surface gravity of 12.81 g⊕ (125.62 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 142.7 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around HD 60292, HD 60292 b completes one full revolution every 495.4 Earth days (1.36Julian years) at a semi-major axis of 1.5 AU (comparable to the inner terrestrial zone between Venus, Earth at 1.00 AU, and Mars at 1.52 AU). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 32.9 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). The planet follows a highly eccentric trajectory (e = 0.27, swinging from 1.095 AU at periapsis out to 1.905 AU at apoapsis), pointing to past dynamical scattering or secular gravitational perturbations.
⚠️ Thermal Regime (Irradiated / Hot Zone): At an equilibrium temperature of 890 K (+617°C / +1143°F) and receiving 110.13 S⊕ (~149,891 W/m²), HD 60292 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.
The host star HD 60292 is classified as an orange K-type star of spectral type K0 III with an effective photospheric temperature of 4,348 K, a radius of 27 R☉, a mass of 1.7 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 233.763 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 1.8 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = -0.17 dex (metal-poor relative to the Sun). From Earth, HD 60292 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 6.947 (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: Bohyunsan Optical Astronomical Observatory · Catalogue Source: NASA Exoplanet Archive (IPAC / Caltech).
☀️ Host Star Telemetry
| Host Star Name | HD 60292 |
| Spectral Type | K0 III |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 4,348 K |
| Stellar Radius | 27.0000 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 1.7000 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 233.763 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | -0.170 dex |
| Stellar Age | 1.800 Gyr |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 6.947 · G: 6.532 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 1 Planet |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 1.500000 AU |
| Orbital Period | 495.4 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 32.9 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.27000 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | — |
| Mean Bulk Density | 5.56 g/cm³ (142.7 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 110.1333 S⊕ (~149,891 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 1028.100 LY (315.211 pc) |