TOI-615 b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
TOI-615 b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star TOI-615, located approximately 1175.5 light-years (360.41 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 1.009% across the stellar disk), this world measures 18.977 Earth radii (1.69 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 138.255 Earth masses (0.43 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 0.11 g/cm³ (a low bulk density dominated by an extended hydrogen-helium gaseous envelope), a surface gravity of 0.38 g⊕ (3.73 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 30.2 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around TOI-615, TOI-615 b completes one full revolution every 4.662 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.0678 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 158.2 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). The planet follows a highly eccentric trajectory (e = 0.39, swinging from 0.0414 AU at periapsis out to 0.0942 AU at apoapsis), pointing to past dynamical scattering or secular gravitational perturbations.
⚠️ Thermal Regime (Irradiated / Hot Zone): At an equilibrium temperature of 1666 K (+1393°C / +2539°F) and receiving 1,286.00 S⊕ (~1,750,246 W/m²), TOI-615 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.
The host star TOI-615 is classified as a warm F-type star of spectral type F2 V with an effective photospheric temperature of 6,850 K, a radius of 1.732 R☉, a mass of 1.449 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 5.926 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 1.7 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = -0.1 dex (near-solar heavy-element abundance). From Earth, TOI-615 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 10.825 (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-615 |
| Spectral Type | F2 V |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 6,850 K |
| Stellar Radius | 1.7320 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 1.4490 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 5.926 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | -0.100 dex |
| Stellar Age | 1.700 Gyr |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 10.825 · G: 10.578 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 1 Planet |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 0.067800 AU |
| Orbital Period | 4.662 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 158.2 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.39000 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | 86.7300° |
| Mean Bulk Density | 0.11 g/cm³ (30.2 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 1286.0000 S⊕ (~1,750,246 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 1175.500 LY (360.408 pc) |