HD 86226 and Its Two Planets

HD 86226 is a G2 V star, a Sun-like main-sequence dwarf, located 149 light-years away. Its reported mass estimate is 1.08 solar masses, its reported radius estimate is 1.03 solar radii, and its reported temperature is 6010 K, all larger or hotter than the Sun's corresponding values. The star is estimated to be 3.8 billion years old. Two planets have been reported orbiting it.

HD 86226 b was discovered in 2009 by the radial velocity method, which measures the wobble a planet's gravity induces in its star's motion. Its reported mass estimate is 143 Earth masses, larger than Earth's, and its orbital period is 1630 days. Among the listed planets, it has the largest reported mass and the longest year.

HD 86226 c was discovered in 2020 by the transit method, which detects the small dip in a star's observed brightness when a planet passes in front of it. It is classified as a Super-Earth, a size class that extends up to 2.5 times Earth's radius. Its reported radius estimate is 2.16 Earth radii, larger than Earth's, and its reported mass estimate is 7.25 Earth masses, also larger than Earth's. Its mean density is 3.96 g/cm³, 0.719 times Earth's. Its orbital period is 3.98 days, the shortest year among the listed planets, and it has the smallest reported mass of the two.