TOI-4600 b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
TOI-4600 b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star TOI-4600, located approximately 704.7 light-years (216.06 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 0.5924% across the stellar disk), this world measures 6.8 Earth radii (0.61 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 959.842 Earth masses (3.02 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 16.83 g/cm³ (an iron-enriched, high-compression rocky core), a surface gravity of 20.76 g⊕ (203.59 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 132.9 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around TOI-4600, TOI-4600 b completes one full revolution every 82.687 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.349 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 45.9 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). The planet follows a highly eccentric trajectory (e = 0.25, swinging from 0.2618 AU at periapsis out to 0.4362 AU at apoapsis), pointing to past dynamical scattering or secular gravitational perturbations.
☁️ Atmospheric Regime (Volatile / Gas Envelope): With a radius of 6.800 R⊕, TOI-4600 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 TOI-4600 is classified as an orange K-type star of spectral type K V with an effective photospheric temperature of 5,170 K, a radius of 0.81 R☉, a mass of 0.89 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 0.421 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 2.3 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.16 dex (metal-rich relative to the Sun). From Earth, TOI-4600 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 12.577 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Northern celestial hemisphere. The TOI-4600 system is a multi-planet architecture hosting 2 confirmed worlds, with TOI-4600 b sharing its stellar neighborhood alongside TOI-4600 c.
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-4600 |
| Spectral Type | K V |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 5,170 K |
| Stellar Radius | 0.8100 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 0.8900 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 0.421 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | 0.160 dex |
| Stellar Age | 2.300 Gyr |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 12.577 · G: 12.441 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 2 Planets |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 0.349000 AU |
| Orbital Period | 82.687 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 45.9 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.25000 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | 89.7600° |
| Mean Bulk Density | 16.83 g/cm³ (132.9 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 3.3159 S⊕ (~4,513 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 704.700 LY (216.056 pc) |