NASA (Exoplanet Catalog artwork)Epsilon Eridani b
also named ÆgirThe nearest Jupiter analogue, around a young Sun-like star 10.5 light-years away
Overview
Epsilon Eridani b, formally named AEgir [sic], is an exoplanet approximately 10.5 light-years away orbiting the star Epsilon Eridani, in the constellation of Eridanus. The planet was discovered in 2000, and as of 2025 remains the only confirmed planet in its planetary system. It is a remarkably close analog to Jupiter, with similar mass and orbit.
Source: Wikipedia
NASA: Epsilon Eridani b is a gas giant exoplanet that orbits a K-type star. Its mass is 1 Jupiter, it takes 7.3 years to complete one orbit of its star, and is 3.53 AU from its star. Its discovery was announced in 2000.
Why it matters
- First claimed in 2000 and debated for years; confirmed in 2019 with radial velocities and astrometry.
- Roughly Jupiter's mass on a 7.4-year orbit around a star with two debris belts.
- The host star is only a few hundred million years old — a snapshot of the early Solar System.
NASA puts it this way: “Epsilon Eridani b is a gas giant exoplanet that orbits a K-type star. Its mass is 0.66 Jupiters, it takes 7.3 years to complete one orbit of its star, and is 3.53 AU from its star. Its discovery was announced in 2000.”
Discovery & system
- Discovered
- 2000 · Radial Velocity · Multiple Observatories
- Discovery paper
- Hatzes et al. 2000
- Host star
- eps Eri · K2 V · 5,020 K · 0.82 M☉
- System
- 1 known planet
The system
| World | Period | Distance | Radius | Mass | Temp. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| eps Eri b | 7.3 yr | 3.53 AU | 1.23 R♃ | 1 M♃ | 112 K |
By the numbers
- Radius
- 1.23 R♃13.8 R⊕
- Mass
- 1 M♃318 M⊕
- Orbital period
- 7.3 yr
- Distance from star
- 3.53 AU528 million km
- Eccentricity
- 0.06elliptical
- Equilibrium temp.
- 112 K-161 °C
- Starlight received
- 0.03 × Earth
- Distance from Earth
- 10.5 ly3.2 pc
- Density
- 0.67 g/cm³0.12 × Earth
Sources
Image: NASA (Exoplanet Catalog artwork) · NASA media: generally free of copyright · image page
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Taglines and highlights are editorial.