bet Pic planetary system
bet Pic is a white main-sequence star of spectral type A5V approximately 64.4 light-years from Earth (19.74 parsecs). It hosts 2 confirmed exoplanets.
Host star
- Name
- bet Pic
- Spectral type
- A5V
- Effective temperature
- 8,039 K
- Mass
- 1.79 M☉ (solar masses)
- Radius
- 1.54 R☉ (solar radii)
- Distance
- 19.74 pc (64.4 ly)
- Hipparcos catalog
- HIP 27321
Confirmed planets (2)
| Planet | Class | Mass (M⊕) | Radius (R⊕) | Period (d) | Distance (AU) | Eq. temp (K) | Discovered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bet Pic c | Neptune-like | 3222.46 | 12.50 | 1192.78 | 2.6800 | 1,250 | 2019 |
| bet Pic b | Jupiter-like | 3727.81 | 18.49 | 8617.51 | 10.0180 | 1,612 | 2008 |
The planets in detail
bet Pic c is a Neptune-like world with about 12.50 Earth radii and 3222.46 Earth masses. It orbits bet Pic at 2.6800 AU with a 3.3-Earth-year orbit, and an extreme equilibrium temperature exceeding 1250 K. Its orbit is notably eccentric (e = 0.31), meaning the distance to its star — and the irradiation it receives — varies substantially over each year. It was confirmed in 2019 via radial velocity (Doppler) measurements.
bet Pic b is a Jupiter-like gas giant with about 18.49 Earth radii and 3727.81 Earth masses. It orbits bet Pic at 10.0180 AU with a 23.6-Earth-year orbit, and an extreme equilibrium temperature exceeding 1612 K. It was confirmed in 2008 via direct imaging.
Discovery
The bet Pic system was first identified in 2008, with confirmation work continuing through 2019 using radial velocity (Doppler) measurements. Detection facilities: La Silla Observatory, Paranal Observatory.
Observing from Earth
Exoplanets cannot be resolved visually with amateur telescopes — the host star's glare is overwhelming and even space-based direct imaging requires sophisticated coronagraphs. What you can observe is the host star itself at right ascension 86.8212°, declination -51.0661°. Use the 3D orrery above to inspect orbital geometry, planetary scale, and the habitable-zone overlay — the orbits are computed from the published Keplerian elements and animate at user-controlled time rates.
