The star
The star
GQ Lup
- Type
- K7e V
- Surface
- ≈ 4,360 K
- Size
- 1.94 × the Sun
- Mass
- 0.70 × the Sun
- Brightness
- 0.846 × the Sun
- Habitable zone
- 0.739–1.84 AU
The planets
GQ Lup
GQ Lup b
- Year
- 1195.2 years
- Distance from star
- 100 AU
- Mass
- 20 Jupiters
- Size
- 34 × Earth
- Temperature
- ≈ 2650 K (+2377 °C)
- Found
- 2004, imaging (Paranal Observatory)
Masses found by the wobble method are minimums, because the orbit's tilt is unknown. Temperatures are equilibrium estimates for a bare planet, before any atmosphere.
How we know
A direct picture
The star's glare is blocked or subtracted, leaving the planet's own faint light as a dot that moves along its orbit over the years.
Sources
- Planet and star parameters: NASA Exoplanet Archive, Planetary Systems Composite Parameters, retrieved 1 Nov 2026. This research has made use of the NASA Exoplanet Archive, which is operated by the California Institute of Technology, under contract with NASA under the Exoplanet Exploration Program.
- Position: HYG Database v4.1 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Habitable zone: a simple estimate from the star's brightness (√L × 0.95 to 1.67 AU), shown as a guide.