HIP 48714 b

Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization

HIP 48714 b is a confirmed sub-neptune exoplanet orbiting the star HIP 48714, located approximately 34.3 light-years (10.53 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2020 by Multiple Observatories using the Radial Velocity detection technique (measuring periodic Doppler reflex motion in the host star's spectrum), this world measures 5.11 Earth radii (0.46 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 22.9 Earth masses. Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 0.95 g/cm³ (a low bulk density dominated by an extended hydrogen-helium gaseous envelope), a surface gravity of 0.88 g⊕ (8.63 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 23.7 km/s.

In its orbital architecture around HIP 48714, HIP 48714 b completes one full revolution every 17.818 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.112 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 68.4 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). The planet follows a highly eccentric trajectory (e = 0.5, swinging from 0.056 AU at periapsis out to 0.168 AU at apoapsis), pointing to past dynamical scattering or secular gravitational perturbations.

⚠️ Thermal Regime (Irradiated / Hot Zone): At an equilibrium temperature of 446 K (+173°C / +343°F) and receiving 5.57 S⊕ (~7,582 W/m²), HIP 48714 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.

The host star HIP 48714 is classified as a low-mass red dwarf of spectral type M0.5 Ve with an effective photospheric temperature of 4,016 K, a radius of 0.5955 R☉, a mass of 0.58 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 0.083 L☉. From Earth, HIP 48714 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 8.99 (accessible to binoculars and small amateur telescopes) in the Northern celestial hemisphere.

Discovery Facility: Multiple Observatories · Catalogue Source: NASA Exoplanet Archive (IPAC / Caltech).