HD 170469 b
Encyclopedia
HD 170469 b is a gas giant
exoplanet located approximately 212 light-year
s away in the constellation
Ophiuchus
, orbiting the star
HD 170469
. This planet was discovered in April 2007. The star is 1.1 solar mass
and the planet is at least 67% the mass of Jupiter
, orbiting about half the distance of Jupiter from the Sun. The mass value is only minimum
since the inclination
is unknown.
The orbital distance is more than twice the distance from Earth
to the Sun
, although taking over three Earth years to orbit the star. The combined distance and period would make orbital velocity of 19.8 km/s, slower than Earth
's 29.8 km/s.
Gas giant
A gas giant is a large planet that is not primarily composed of rock or other solid matter. There are four gas giants in the Solar System: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune...
exoplanet located approximately 212 light-year
Light-year
A light-year, also light year or lightyear is a unit of length, equal to just under 10 trillion kilometres...
s away in the constellation
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
Ophiuchus
Ophiuchus
Ophiuchus is a large constellation located around the celestial equator. Its name is from the Greek "serpent-bearer", and it is commonly represented as a man grasping the snake that is represented by the constellation Serpens. Ophiuchus was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century...
, orbiting the star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
HD 170469
HD 170469
HD 170469 is a yellow subgiant star located approximately 212 light-years away in the constellation Ophiuchus. It has apparent magnitude +8.21 and it is 211.91 ly away....
. This planet was discovered in April 2007. The star is 1.1 solar mass
Solar mass
The solar mass , , is a standard unit of mass in astronomy, used to indicate the masses of other stars and galaxies...
and the planet is at least 67% the mass of Jupiter
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
, orbiting about half the distance of Jupiter from the Sun. The mass value is only minimum
Minimum mass
In astronomy, minimum mass is the lower-bound calculated mass of observed objects such as planets, stars and binary systems, nebulae, and black holes. Minimum mass is a widely cited statistic for extrasolar planets...
since the inclination
Inclination
Inclination in general is the angle between a reference plane and another plane or axis of direction.-Orbits:The inclination is one of the six orbital parameters describing the shape and orientation of a celestial orbit...
is unknown.
The orbital distance is more than twice the distance from Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
to the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
, although taking over three Earth years to orbit the star. The combined distance and period would make orbital velocity of 19.8 km/s, slower than Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
's 29.8 km/s.