TOI-7009 b

Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization

TOI-7009 b is a confirmed sub-neptune exoplanet orbiting the star TOI-7009, located approximately 600.5 light-years (184.12 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 0.3637% across the stellar disk), this world measures 3.71 Earth radii (0.33 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 13.3 Earth masses. Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 1.44 g/cm³ (a low bulk density dominated by an extended hydrogen-helium gaseous envelope), a surface gravity of 0.97 g⊕ (9.51 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 21.2 km/s.

In its orbital architecture around TOI-7009, TOI-7009 b completes one full revolution every 2.321 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.0287 AU (an ultra-close orbit less than one-seventh of Mercury's 0.387 AU distance from the Sun, where strong stellar tidal forces typically induce synchronous rotation). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 134.5 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s).

⚠️ Thermal Regime (Irradiated / Hot Zone): At an equilibrium temperature of 872 K (+599°C / +1110°F) and receiving 42.41 S⊕ (~57,723 W/m²), TOI-7009 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.

The host star TOI-7009 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 4,080 K, a radius of 0.564 R☉, a mass of 0.583 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 0.079 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates a metallicity of [Fe/H] = -0.11 dex (metal-poor relative to the Sun). From Earth, TOI-7009 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 14.161 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Northern celestial hemisphere.

Discovery Facility: Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) · Catalogue Source: NASA Exoplanet Archive (IPAC / Caltech).