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CONFIRMED EXOPLANET · Super-Earth

55 Cnc e

55 Cnc e orbits the star 55 Cnc, 41 light-years from Earth. It completes an orbit in 0.737 Earth days.

DISCOVERED 2004 · Radial Velocity

Get to know this world ↓
Artist’s impression of 55 Cnc e. Appearance is interpretive, not an observed surface.
ARTIST’S IMPRESSION
Super-EarthPlanet type

Size-based classification; composition may be uncertain.

1.88 × Earth’s radiusSize

Around 88% wider than Earth.

0.737 daysYear length

Time to complete one orbit.

41 light-yearsDistance

Its light travels for roughly 41 years to reach us.

2004Discovered

Radial Velocity

SIZE IN PERSPECTIVE
Earth
1 Earth radius
55 Cnc e
1.88 Earth radii
Radius comparison · silhouettes only, not surface appearance.
A YEAR, REIMAGINED

0.737 Earth days

Earth 365.25 days55 Cnc e 0.002 Earth years

This is how long the planet takes to complete one orbit around its star.

Overview

55 Cnc e is one of the confirmed worlds in the NASA Exoplanet Archive. Recorded as discovered in 2004. The credited discovery facility is McDonald Observatory. Its Radial Velocity evidence gives us a way to study a planet that is usually too faint to see directly.

Its recorded radius is 1.88 times Earth's radius. Size is useful for comparison, but it cannot establish surface conditions by itself.

The planet

The archive lists a mass or minimum-mass value of 7.99 Earth masses (Mass). Radius: 1.88 Earth radii.

Mass and radius constrain possible interiors; multiple compositions can fit a given set of measurements.

Orbit & year

A year here lasts 0.737 Earth days. Its recorded semi-major axis is 0.015 AU. One AU is roughly the Earth–Sun distance.

Eccentricity: 0.05. Zero describes a circular orbit; increasing values describe more elongated ellipses.

Host star

55 Cnc · G8 V.

Effective temperature: 5,172 K.

Mass: 0.91 times the Sun’s mass.

Planetary system

5 confirmed planets are stored for this star.

55 Cnc e · 0.737-day orbit

55 Cnc b · 14.652-day orbit

55 Cnc c · 44.394-day orbit

55 Cnc f · 260.58-day orbit

55 Cnc d · 4,799-day orbit

Discovery

Reported discovery year: 2004. Method: Radial Velocity. Facility: McDonald Observatory.

First stored in this atlas: 04/10/2026. This is an ingestion date, not a confirmation date.

How these methods work ↗

Potential habitability

The data here does not establish habitability, liquid water, or life. An appropriate atmosphere and many other conditions would be needed.

The listed equilibrium temperature is 1,958 K. This is an estimated energy-balance temperature, not a measured surface temperature.

Understand the habitable zone ↗

What do we actually know?

Observed

The underlying light, motion or timing signal. Usually not a photograph of the planet.

Measured

Parameters derived from observations, with instrument and model uncertainty.

Calculated

Our light-year conversion and browsing class are calculated from archive values.

Estimated

Equilibrium temperature is an energy-balance estimate, not surface weather.

Inferred

Possible composition depends on models and may not be unique.

Unknown

Surface conditions and the presence of life are not established here.

Measured signals are interpreted through models. The archive’s composite table combines published values and may include calculated estimates. Values do not necessarily form one self-consistent solution.

Radius and mass can be estimated or inferred, orbital period comes from recurring observations, and size classification is calculated by this site. Atmospheric and surface conditions remain unknown unless established by specific observations.

Consult the archive for individual parameter references and uncertainty intervals before scientific use.

Scientific data

Radius1.875 Earth radii
Mass / minimum mass7.99 Earth masses (Mass)
Orbital period0.73655 Earth days
Semi-major axis0.01544 AU
Eccentricity0.05
Equilibrium temperature1,958 K · estimated, not surface temperature
Host star temperature5,172 K
Host star mass0.905 Solar masses
Host star radius0.943 Solar radii
Distance12.5855 parsecs
Discovery year2,004
Discovery methodRadial Velocity
Discovery facilityMcDonald Observatory
Discovery publication2004-10
Stellar spectral typeG8 V

Uncertainties and parameter provenance

Archive uncertainty ranges and published references, where available. A missing uncertainty does not imply an exact value.

ParameterUncertainty / source
Radius+0.029 / -0.029Bourrier et al. 2018
Mass / minimum mass+0.32 / -0.33Bourrier et al. 2018
Orbital period+0 / -0Bourrier et al. 2018
Equilibrium temperature+15 / -15Demory et al. 2011

Sources

ARTIST’S IMPRESSION

Hypothetical volcanic terrain; the artwork is interpretive.

Commissioned for Worlds Beyond using image generation. Appearance is interpretive. Image policy and credits.

NASA Exoplanet Archive · Planetary Systems Composite Parameters (PSCompPars).

Open the scientific archive record ↗

Last changed in this atlas: 04/10/2026, 11:39:41. Read our methodology.

Spotted something wrong? Report an error ↗

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