Host star — Wolf 1069
- Spectral type
- M5.0 V
- Temperature
- 3,158 K
- Radius
- 0.18 R☉
- Mass
- 0.17 M☉
- Luminosity
- 0.003 L☉
- Distance
- 9.6 pc (31.3 ly)
Red dwarf — the most common type of star. Cool and small.
Very cool — a faint red dwarf.
Wolf 1069 b
Orbits Wolf 1069 · 31.3 light-years from Earth
RockyRadial Velocity2023ESI 96 · Very Earth-like
Radius
1.08×
Earth
Mass
1.3×
Earth
Year
16d
Temp
250 K
-23°C
Gravity
1.1×
Earth
Distance
31.3
ly
Could life exist here?
AI analysisWolf 1069 b orbits closer than Mercury to our Sun, yet its host star—a dim red dwarf roughly one-fifth the Sun's mass and radius—radiates so little that the planet's equilibrium temperature sits at a chilly 250 Kelvin, or about −23 degrees Celsius. At 1.08 Earth radii and 1.26 Earth masses, the planet is genuinely Earth-sized and rocky, with a density of 5.5 grams per cubic centimeter suggesting a composition not radically different from our own world. These properties have earned it a habitability score of 96 out of 100, an exceptionally high rating that hinges on one critical possibility: if Wolf 1069 b is tidally locked to its star—a near-certain scenario given its tight 15.6-day orbit—then the perpetually dark side could be frozen, yet a narrow twilight band might retain liquid water if atmospheric circulation redistributes heat. The immense unknowns are whether it has an atmosphere, whether that atmosphere can trap enough warmth, and whether any subsurface water exists. Discovered via radial velocity in 2023 and lying just 31.3 light-years away, Wolf 1069 b is close enough for future telescopes to potentially reveal atmospheric composition and is the closest known temperate exoplanet candidate.
What it would be like
Wolf 1069 b is a rocky world, potentially similar in composition to Earth or Mars — a solid surface you could, in theory, stand on.
Surface gravity is about 1.1g — noticeably heavier what you're used to on Earth.
At -23°C, this world is cold — similar to Earth's polar regions or the surface of Mars. Water would likely be frozen, but subsurface liquid isn't ruled out.
An orbital period of 16 days makes the year 23.5× shorter than Earth's. You'd celebrate your birthday more often here.
Earth comparison
Logarithmic bars so Jupiter-class planets fit the same scale as Earth-size worlds.
Radius1.08R⊕
1/25×Earth = 125×
Mass1.26M⊕
1/10000×Earth = 110000×
Surface gravity1.08g
1/100×Earth = 1100×
Equilibrium temp250 K(-23°C)
0 KEarth 255 K2500 K
Side-by-side with Earth
Temperature in context
Liquid N₂Mars avgEarth eq.Earth sfc.Boiling H₂OVenus
Discovery & orbit
- Method
- Radial Velocity
- Year
- 2023
- Facility
- Calar Alto Observatory
- Semi-major axis
- 0.0672 AU
- Period
- 15.56 days
- Eccentricity
- —
- Density
- 5.50 g/cm³
Detected by the star's wobble — gravitational tug from the orbiting planet shifts spectral lines.
Rocky composition likely. Earth is 5.51 g/cm³.
Discovered via · Radial velocity
The star's wobble — gravitational tug from the planet shifts its spectrum
A planet orbiting a star pulls it slightly back and forth. That motion compresses the star's light when moving toward us (blueshift) and stretches it away (redshift). Precision spectrographs detect the wobble at metres-per-second — enough to infer a planet's mass and orbit.
- Overall share
- ~19% of discoveries
- Best for
- Massive, close-in planets around nearby bright stars
Hertzsprung–Russell Diagram
Where this host star sits among … exoplanet host stars. The main sequence band runs diagonally — giants and supergiants sit above, white dwarfs below.
OBAFGKMCurrent star
How far is 31.3 light-years?
- A light beam leaving Earth right now would arrive in 31.3 years.
- At Voyager 1's speed (17 km/s), the trip would take approximately 551,226 years.
- A radio signal sent today would arrive in 31.3 years — and the reply wouldn't come back for twice that.
Earth Similarity Index
96/1000 — Nothing like Earth100 — Identical to Earth
ESI combines radius similarity and equilibrium temperature similarity. Earth = 100. Mars ≈ 73. Venus ≈ 44. This score reflects two physical parameters only — not atmosphere, water, or magnetic field.