HD 73526: A Sun-Like Star With Two Known Worlds

HD 73526 is a G6 V star 317 light-years away. The "G" class makes it Sun-like, and the trailing "V" marks it as a main-sequence dwarf. It is 9.59 billion years old and holds 1.01 solar masses, so its mass is close to the Sun's. Its radius of 1.41 solar radii is larger than the Sun's, and its temperature of 5560 K is cooler than the Sun's. Two planets are known to orbit this host.

Both planets were found by the radial velocity method, which measures the wobble a planet's gravity induces in its star's motion; repeated wobbles reveal the planet and its orbital period. HD 73526 b was discovered in 2002, and HD 73526 c in 2005.

HD 73526 b has a minimum mass of 979 Earth masses and an orbital period of 188 days. Among the listed planets, it has the shortest year by reported estimates and the largest minimum mass. Its minimum mass is also roughly 3.08 times Jupiter's mass and larger than Earth's.

HD 73526 c has a minimum mass of 715 Earth masses and an orbital period of 379 days. Among the listed planets, it has the longest year by reported estimates and the smallest minimum mass. Its minimum mass is larger than Earth's and roughly 2.25 times Jupiter's mass.

A minimum mass is a lower bound on a planet's true mass, distinct from an ordinary mass estimate.