HD 70642 is a star with an exoplanetary companion in the southern constellation of Puppis. It has an apparent visual magnitude of +7.17,^[2] which is too dim to be readily visible to the naked eye. The system is located at a distance of 95.5 light-years (29.3 parsecs) from the Sun based on parallax measurements, and is drifting further away with a radial velocity of +49.3 km/s.^[1] It came to within 55.3 ly of the Solar System some 329,000 years ago.^[2]

This may be considered to be a solar analog star, being similar in physical properties to the Sun.^[5] It is a G-type main-sequence star with a stellar classification of G6V CN+0.5.^[3] It is comparable to the age of the Sun, estimated to be in the range of 2–6 billion years old. Although chromospherically inactive a magnetic field has been detected.^[5] This star has about the same mass and radius as the Sun, is slightly cooler and less luminous,^[4] and is richer in abundance of iron relative to hydrogen.^[5] It is spinning at a leisurely rate, showing a projected rotational velocity of 1.6 km/s.^[6]

Planetary system

A long period planetary companion to HD 70642 was announced in 2003. This planet orbits in a circular orbit (e=0.034) at 3.232 AU.^[8] HD 70642 itself is similar enough to the sun that its habitable zone is at around the same distance(0.9-1.3 AU). HD 70642 b is thought to be compatible with potential Earth-mass planets at 1 AU. Because of this the HD 70642 system may be similar in structure to our own.^[9] In 2023, the inclination and true mass of HD 70642 b were determined via astrometry.^[10]

See also

• Gliese 777
• HD 28185
• Pi Mensae
• HIP 11915
• Lists of exoplanets

References

External links

• Solstation: HD 70642 / CD-39 4247