The star
The star
HD 100546
- Type
- B9 Vne
- Surface
- ≈ 10,500 K
- Size
- 1.85 × the Sun
- Mass
- 2.40 × the Sun
- Brightness
- 31.6 × the Sun
- Habitable zone
- 5.34–9.39 AU
The planets
HD 100546
HD 100546 b
- Year
- 249.1 years
- Distance from star
- 53 AU
- Mass
- 8.5 Jupiters
- Size
- 77 × Earth
- Temperature
- ≈ 95 K (-178 °C)
- Found
- 2014, 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.