HD 86264 b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
HD 86264 b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star HD 86264, located approximately 221.2 light-years (67.81 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 12.5 Earth radii (1.12 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 3117.261 Earth masses (9.81 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 8.8 g/cm³ (an iron-enriched, high-compression rocky core), a surface gravity of 19.95 g⊕ (195.64 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 176.6 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around HD 86264, HD 86264 b completes one full revolution every 1488.791 Earth days (4.08Julian years) at a semi-major axis of 2.763 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 20.2 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). The planet follows a highly eccentric trajectory (e = 0.821, swinging from 0.4946 AU at periapsis out to 5.0314 AU at apoapsis), pointing to past dynamical scattering or secular gravitational perturbations.
☁️ Atmospheric Regime (Volatile / Gas Envelope): With a radius of 12.500 R⊕, HD 86264 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 86264 is classified as a warm F-type star of spectral type F7 V with an effective photospheric temperature of 6,210 K, a radius of 1.88 R☉, a mass of 1.26 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 4.716 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 2.24 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.202 dex (metal-rich relative to the Sun). From Earth, HD 86264 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 7.41 (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: Lick Observatory · Catalogue Source: NASA Exoplanet Archive (IPAC / Caltech).
☀️ Host Star Telemetry
| Host Star Name | HD 86264 |
| Spectral Type | F7 V |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 6,210 K |
| Stellar Radius | 1.8800 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 1.2600 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 4.716 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | 0.202 dex |
| Stellar Age | 2.240 Gyr |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 7.410 · G: 7.284 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 1 Planet |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 2.763000 AU |
| Orbital Period | 1488.791 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 20.2 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.82100 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | 93.5910° |
| Mean Bulk Density | 8.8 g/cm³ (176.6 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 0.5987 S⊕ (~815 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 221.200 LY (67.811 pc) |