TOI-912 b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
TOI-912 b is a confirmed super-earth exoplanet orbiting the star TOI-912, located approximately 85.2 light-years (26.11 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2025 by Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.1783% across the stellar disk), this world measures 1.93 Earth radii and has a measured mass of 5.1 Earth masses. Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 3.91 g/cm³ (an intermediate density indicative of a deep water-ice mantle or dense volatile envelope), a surface gravity of 1.37 g⊕ (13.44 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 18.2 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around TOI-912, TOI-912 b completes one full revolution every 4.678 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.041 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 95.3 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). The planet follows a highly eccentric trajectory (e = 0.58, swinging from 0.0172 AU at periapsis out to 0.0648 AU at apoapsis), pointing to past dynamical scattering or secular gravitational perturbations.
⚠️ Thermal Regime (Irradiated / Hot Zone): At an equilibrium temperature of 551 K (+278°C / +532°F) and receiving 15.00 S⊕ (~20,415 W/m²), TOI-912 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.
The host star TOI-912 is classified as a low-mass red dwarf of spectral type M3 with an effective photospheric temperature of 3,572 K, a radius of 0.419 R☉, a mass of 0.418 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 0.026 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 0.8 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = -0.19 dex (metal-poor relative to the Sun). From Earth, TOI-912 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 12.67 (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-912 |
| Spectral Type | M3 |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 3,572 K |
| Stellar Radius | 0.4190 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 0.4180 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 0.026 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | -0.190 dex |
| Stellar Age | 0.800 Gyr |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 12.670 · G: 11.650 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 1 Planet |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 0.041000 AU |
| Orbital Period | 4.678 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 95.3 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.58000 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | 88.7000° |
| Mean Bulk Density | 3.91 g/cm³ (18.2 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 15.0000 S⊕ (~20,415 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 85.200 LY (26.107 pc) |