TIC 52059926 b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
TIC 52059926 b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star TIC 52059926, located approximately 706.4 light-years (216.58 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2026 by Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 1.8598% across the stellar disk), this world measures 10.71 Earth radii (0.96 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 5380 Earth masses (16.93 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 24.15 g/cm³ (an iron-enriched, high-compression rocky core), a surface gravity of 46.9 g⊕ (459.93 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 250.7 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around TIC 52059926, TIC 52059926 b completes one full revolution every 175.532 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.553 AU (situated at an orbital separation between Mercury's 0.39 AU and Venus's 0.72 AU). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 34.3 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). The planet follows a highly eccentric trajectory (e = 0.51, swinging from 0.271 AU at periapsis out to 0.835 AU at apoapsis), pointing to past dynamical scattering or secular gravitational perturbations.
☁️ Atmospheric Regime (Volatile / Gas Envelope): With a radius of 10.710 R⊕, TIC 52059926 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 TIC 52059926 is classified as an orange K-type star of spectral type K4.5 V with an effective photospheric temperature of 4,505 K, a radius of 0.72 R☉, a mass of 0.73 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 0.192 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 8.2 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = -0.08 dex (near-solar heavy-element abundance). From Earth, TIC 52059926 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 13.724 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) 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: Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) · Catalogue Source: NASA Exoplanet Archive (IPAC / Caltech).
☀️ Host Star Telemetry
| Host Star Name | TIC 52059926 |
| Spectral Type | K4.5 V |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 4,505 K |
| Stellar Radius | 0.7200 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 0.7300 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 0.192 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | -0.080 dex |
| Stellar Age | 8.200 Gyr |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 13.724 · G: 13.427 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 1 Planet |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 0.553000 AU |
| Orbital Period | 175.532 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 34.3 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.51000 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | 89.6850° |
| Mean Bulk Density | 24.15 g/cm³ (250.7 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 4.4802 S⊕ (~6,098 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 706.400 LY (216.581 pc) |