What it’s like to stand here
HD 160691 b
sun
about the same
sky
warm white

Illustration computed from this world’s measured and derived values, not a photograph.

Sub-Neptune · likely temperate

HD 160691 b

HD 160691 b is a confirmed sub-Neptune exoplanet 50.9 ly from Earth in the constellation Ara, discovered in 2000 by Anglo-Australian Telescope.

Radial Velocity: spotted by the gravitational wobble the planet tugs in its star.

HD 160691
host star
radius
1,367 M⊕
mass · measured
1.8 years
orbital period
-11°C (12°F)
avg temp
Human scale

Its yellow, Sun-like star looks about the same size as ours, bathing the surface in warm white light. A year here lasts 1.8 Earth years, and at an estimated -11°C (12°F) it is cold.

gravity, needs mass + radius
1.8 years
one year, in Earth time
about the same
how big its sun looks vs ours
warm white
midday sky tint
jump, needs gravity
normal
day/night cycle (not tidally locked)

What these mean: surface gravity · tidal locking · equilibrium temperature · habitable zone

Hear how a voice sounds herea computed acoustic demo

Your voice would sound much as it does on Earth.

Assuming Earth-like air at this world's temperature of about -11°C (12°F), sound would travel roughly 5% slower than on Earth, so your voice would sound much as it does on Earth. The real atmosphere is unknown, so this is a best guess.

sound speed ≈ 325 m/s · 0.95× Earth · assumes Earth-like air

A real voice sample, pitch-shifted (tempo held constant) to suggest the acoustics: a playful approximation, not a precise simulation. Voice: Lingua Libre / Vealhurl, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The journey
Cosmic travel advisory
★★★★
Recommended, with reservations
  • Surface temperatures near -11°C (12°F) fall in the range where liquid water is at least possible.
  • It orbits within the habitable zone, where a world could in principle hold liquid water.

A playful read of HD 160691 b’s measured and computed values, not a real advisory.

How long to get there · 50.9 ly away
Jet airliner
61.0 million years
dies en route1000-yr cryo: fails
Parker Solar Probethe fastest craft ever built
79,344 years
dies en route1000-yr cryo: fails
Light speed
51 years
arrives elderly
Warp 10
19 days
arrives thriving
Folding spacetimeinstant, plus 1 hr of paperwork
1 hour
arrives thriving
Size vs Earth
Explore from here · roam the neighborhood

Zoom out: star → system → (soon) galaxy arm, host black hole, and a real image of the host galaxy.

Can you see it tonight? · observe
VISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE
Host-star brightnessmag 5.1
ConstellationAra
To see the host starno equipment needed
Gear bridge

Matched telescope & eyepiece recommendations are coming. Any product links will carry a clear affiliate disclosure.

Common questions

How far is HD 160691 b from Earth?

HD 160691 b lies about 50.9 light-years from Earth.

How long would it take to get to HD 160691 b?

At the speed of NASA's Parker Solar Probe, the fastest craft ever built, the journey would take about 79,344 years.

How hot is HD 160691 b?

HD 160691 b's equilibrium temperature, the balance it reaches from its star's light alone before any greenhouse warming, is about -11°C (12°F).

Is HD 160691 b habitable?

HD 160691 b orbits inside its star's habitable zone, the range of distances where liquid water could be stable. That makes it worth studying, but it is not evidence of life: we have no measurement of its atmosphere, water, or surface.

How long is a year on HD 160691 b?

HD 160691 b completes one orbit of its star in 1.8 years.

Illustration generated from HD 160691 b's confirmed parameters, not a photograph.