Pulsation Timing Hints at Giant Planet in Habitable Zone of Hottest Known Star
Astronomers have identified a potential gas giant, HD 156295 b, orbiting in the habitable zone of the hottest known star, HD 156295. Located 140 light-years away, the star is an A-type Delta Scuti variable with a surface temperature of 13,500 degrees Fahrenheit. The candidate planet, roughly six times the mass of Jupiter, orbits at 3.9 astronomical units with a period of 2,200 days. While the discovery is tentative with a 50% probability of being real, it represents the first potential habitable-zone planet around such a massive, hot star.