Tau Ceti e
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| Extrasolar planet | List of extrasolar planets | |
|---|---|---|
| Parent star | ||
| Star | Tau Ceti | |
| Constellation | Cetus | |
| Right ascension | (α) | 01h 44m 05s |
| Declination | (δ) | −15° 56′ 15″ |
| Apparent magnitude | (mV) | 3.50 |
| Distance | 11.905 ± 0.007 ly (3.65 ± 0.002 pc) |
|
| Spectral type | G8.5V | |
| Mass | (m) | 0.783 ± 0.012 M☉ |
| Radius | (r) | 0.793 ± 0.004 R☉ |
| Temperature | (T) | 5344 ± 50 K |
| Metallicity | [Fe/H] | −0.55 ± 0.05 |
| Age | 5.8 Gyr | |
| Orbital elements | ||
| Semimajor axis | (a) | 0.552 ± 0.02[1] AU |
| Eccentricity | (e) | 0.05 ± 0.02[1] |
| Orbital period | (P) | 168.12 ± 2.0[1] d (0.46 y) |
| Mean anomaly | (M) | 28.65[1]° |
| Semi-amplitude | (K) | 0.58 [1] m/s |
| Physical characteristics | ||
| Minimum mass | (m sin i) | 4.3[1] M⊕ |
| Discovery information | ||
| Discovery date | 19 December 2012 | |
| Discoverer(s) | Tuomi et al. | |
| Detection method | Radial velocity | |
| Discovery status | Unconfirmed | |
| Database references | ||
| Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia |
data | |
| SIMBAD | data | |
Tau Ceti e is an unconfirmed planet that may be orbiting the nearby Sun-like star Tau Ceti at 11.905 light years of the Sun. It's the fourth planet of the system in distance to its star.
It is notable due to its predicted habitability and Earth-like properties, with an Earth Similarity Index of 0.77 and an orbit that places it on the hot inner edge of Tau Ceti's habitable zone.[2]
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Discovery [edit]
As the other four planets of Tau Ceti, it was detected by realizing statistical analyses of the data of the star's variations in radial velocity that were obtained using HIRES, AAPS, and HARPS.[1]
Characteristics [edit]
Due to the detection method used, few properties of the planet are known other than its orbit and mass.
It orbits Tau Ceti at a distance of 0.552 AU (between Venus and Mercury' orbit in our Solar System) with an orbital period of 168 days and has a minimum mass of 4.3 Earth masses which classifies it as a super-Earth.
Tau Ceti e orbits within Tau Ceti's habitable zone.
Possible Habitability [edit]
Little is currently known of the nature of super-Earths. Though assuming it is a terrestrial planet like Earth, it would likely be 1.8 times larger in size than the Earth.
Due to its proximity to Tau Ceti, it may be Venus-like with a very dense atmosphere causing on it a powerful greenhouse effect.
If it possesses an Earth-like atmosphere, the surface temperature would be around 70°C (343 K). At this temperature range, the only Earth life that could exist on the planet would be thermophiles.[3]
References [edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g Tuomi, M.; et al. "Signals embedded in the radial velocity noise: Periodic variations in the tau Ceti velocities". Astronomy & Astrophysics (preprint). arXiv:1212.4277.
- ^ http://phl.upr.edu/press-releases/twonearbyhabitableworlds
- ^ http://phl.upr.edu/press-releases/twonearbyhabitableworlds
See also [edit]
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