HD 93351 c
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
HD 93351 c is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star HD 93351, located approximately 183.2 light-years (56.16 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2022 by Multiple Observatories using the Radial Velocity detection technique (measuring periodic Doppler reflex motion in the host star's spectrum), this world measures 12.3 Earth radii (1.1 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 4154.017 Earth masses (13.07 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 12.31 g/cm³ (an iron-enriched, high-compression rocky core), a surface gravity of 27.46 g⊕ (269.29 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 205.6 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around HD 93351, HD 93351 c completes one full revolution every 14010.294 Earth days (38.36Julian years) at a semi-major axis of 11.154 AU (a wide outer-system orbit beyond Jupiter's 5.20 AU distance in our Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 8.7 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). Its moderate orbital eccentricity of e = 0.109 carries the world between 9.9382 AU at periapsis and 12.3698 AU at apoapsis, driving measurable seasonal insolation cycles.
❄️ Thermal Regime (Cryogenic Zone): With an equilibrium temperature of 75 K (-198°C / -324°F) and an incident flux of 0.01 S⊕ (~7 W/m²), surface water and volatile species on HD 93351 c would remain locked in cryogenic ice phases unless warmed by subsurface tidal or radiogenic heating.
The host star HD 93351 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 5,408 K, a radius of 0.9114 R☉, a mass of 0.94 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 0.637 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates a metallicity of [Fe/H] = -0.23 dex (metal-poor relative to the Sun). From Earth, HD 93351 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 9.12 (accessible to binoculars and small amateur telescopes) in the Southern celestial hemisphere. The HD 93351 system is a multi-planet architecture hosting 2 confirmed worlds, with HD 93351 c sharing its stellar neighborhood alongside HD 93351 b.
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: Multiple Observatories · Catalogue Source: NASA Exoplanet Archive (IPAC / Caltech).
☀️ Host Star Telemetry
| Host Star Name | HD 93351 |
| Spectral Type | Unclassified |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 5,408 K |
| Stellar Radius | 0.9114 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 0.9400 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 0.637 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | -0.230 dex |
| Stellar Age | — |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 9.120 · G: 8.947 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 2 Planets |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 11.154000 AU |
| Orbital Period | 14010.294 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 8.7 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.10900 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | 14.6360° |
| Mean Bulk Density | 12.31 g/cm³ (205.6 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 0.0051 S⊕ (~7 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 183.200 LY (56.163 pc) |