Wolf 1069 b

Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization

Wolf 1069 b is a confirmed terrestrial exoplanet orbiting the star Wolf 1069, located approximately 31.3 light-years (9.58 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2023 by Calar Alto Observatory using the Radial Velocity detection technique (measuring periodic Doppler reflex motion in the host star's spectrum), this world measures 1.08 Earth radii and has a measured mass of 1.26 Earth masses. Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 5.52 g/cm³ (a terrestrial silicate-iron composition comparable to Earth (5.51 g/cm³)), a surface gravity of 1.08 g⊕ (10.59 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 12.1 km/s.

In its orbital architecture around Wolf 1069, Wolf 1069 b completes one full revolution every 15.564 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.0672 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 47 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s).

✓ Classified as a Temperate Habitable Zone Candidate.

With an estimated equilibrium temperature of 250 K (-23°C / -9°F) and an incident stellar irradiance of 0.65 S⊕ (~887 W/m²), Wolf 1069 b orbits within the empirical circumstellar habitable zone where a rocky surface under sufficient atmospheric pressure can maintain liquid surface water.

The host star Wolf 1069 is classified as a low-mass red dwarf of spectral type M5.0 V with an effective photospheric temperature of 3,158 K, a radius of 0.1813 R☉, a mass of 0.167 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 0.00293 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.07 dex (metal-rich relative to the Sun). From Earth, Wolf 1069 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 13.993 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Northern celestial hemisphere.

Discovery Facility: Calar Alto Observatory · Catalogue Source: NASA Exoplanet Archive (IPAC / Caltech).