HD 50499 and Its Two Known Planets

HD 50499 is a G-type main-sequence star 151 light-years away, a Sun-like dwarf somewhat older and more massive than the Sun. Its age is 3.5 billion years, its mass is 1.25 solar masses, its radius is 1.41 solar radii, and its temperature is 5930 K. The star's reported mass and radius estimates are each larger than the Sun's, and its reported temperature is hotter than the Sun's. Two planets are known to orbit this host.

Both planets were found by the radial velocity method, which detects the wobble a planet's gravity induces in its star's motion; repeated wobbles reveal the planet and its orbital period. HD 50499 b was discovered in 2005 and HD 50499 c in 2019. Each has a minimum mass, meaning a lower bound on its true mass, and each takes thousands of days to complete one orbit.

HD 50499 b has a minimum mass of 520 Earth masses and an orbital period of 2450 days. Its minimum mass is larger than Earth's and roughly 1.64 times Jupiter's mass. Among the listed planets, it has the shortest year and the smallest minimum mass.

HD 50499 c has a minimum mass of 931 Earth masses and an orbital period of 8620 days. Its minimum mass is larger than Earth's and roughly 2.93 times Jupiter's mass. Among the listed planets, it has the longest year and the largest minimum mass.