TOI-2338 b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
TOI-2338 b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star TOI-2338, located approximately 1024.1 light-years (314 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2023 by Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.9578% across the stellar disk), this world measures 11.209 Earth radii (1 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 1900.614 Earth masses (5.98 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 7.44 g/cm³ (an iron-enriched, high-compression rocky core), a surface gravity of 15.13 g⊕ (148.37 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 145.7 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around TOI-2338, TOI-2338 b completes one full revolution every 22.654 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.158 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 75.9 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). The planet follows a highly eccentric trajectory (e = 0.676, swinging from 0.0512 AU at periapsis out to 0.2648 AU at apoapsis), pointing to past dynamical scattering or secular gravitational perturbations.
⚠️ Thermal Regime (Irradiated / Hot Zone): At an equilibrium temperature of 799 K (+526°C / +979°F) and receiving 13.85 S⊕ (~18,848 W/m²), TOI-2338 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.
The host star TOI-2338 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 5,581 K, a radius of 1.05 R☉, a mass of 0.99 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 0.96 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 7 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.22 dex (metal-rich relative to the Sun). From Earth, TOI-2338 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 12.483 (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 | TOI-2338 |
| Spectral Type | Unclassified |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 5,581 K |
| Stellar Radius | 1.0500 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 0.9900 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 0.96 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | 0.220 dex |
| Stellar Age | 7.000 Gyr |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 12.483 · G: 12.186 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 1 Planet |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 0.158000 AU |
| Orbital Period | 22.654 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 75.9 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.67600 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | 89.5200° |
| Mean Bulk Density | 7.44 g/cm³ (145.7 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 13.8485 S⊕ (~18,848 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 1024.100 LY (313.996 pc) |