HD 95872 b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
HD 95872 b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star HD 95872, located approximately 235.5 light-years (72.22 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2015 by Multiple Facilities using the Radial Velocity detection technique (measuring periodic Doppler reflex motion in the host star's spectrum), this world measures 13 Earth radii (1.16 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 1188.684 Earth masses (3.74 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 2.98 g/cm³ (an intermediate density indicative of a deep water-ice mantle or dense volatile envelope), a surface gravity of 7.03 g⊕ (68.94 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 107 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around HD 95872, HD 95872 b completes one full revolution every 4375 Earth days (11.98Julian years) at a semi-major axis of 5.15 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 12.8 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). Its moderate orbital eccentricity of e = 0.06 carries the world between 4.841 AU at periapsis and 5.459 AU at apoapsis, driving measurable seasonal insolation cycles.
❄️ Thermal Regime (Cryogenic Zone): With an equilibrium temperature of 103 K (-170°C / -274°F) and an incident flux of 0.02 S⊕ (~29 W/m²), surface water and volatile species on HD 95872 b would remain locked in cryogenic ice phases unless warmed by subsurface tidal or radiogenic heating.
The host star HD 95872 is classified as an orange K-type star of spectral type K0 V with an effective photospheric temperature of 5,312 K, a radius of 0.84 R☉, a mass of 0.7 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 0.504 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 10 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.41 dex (metal-rich relative to the Sun). From Earth, HD 95872 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 9.955 (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: Multiple Facilities · Catalogue Source: NASA Exoplanet Archive (IPAC / Caltech).
☀️ Host Star Telemetry
| Host Star Name | HD 95872 |
| Spectral Type | K0 V |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 5,312 K |
| Stellar Radius | 0.8400 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 0.7000 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 0.504 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | 0.410 dex |
| Stellar Age | 10.000 Gyr |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 9.955 · G: 9.653 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 1 Planet |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 5.150000 AU |
| Orbital Period | 4375 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 12.8 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.06000 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | — |
| Mean Bulk Density | 2.98 g/cm³ (107 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 0.0216 S⊕ (~29 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 235.500 LY (72.220 pc) |