Candidate Exoplanet Identified Near HD 156295
Researchers have identified a new exoplanet candidate orbiting a star significantly hotter and brighter than the sun.
Updated on Oct. 5, 2026 in Space
Live Poll
Do you believe the pursuit of space exploration is a worthy use of national resources?
Scientists have identified a candidate planet, designated HD 156295 b, located within the habitable zone of its host star. This discovery remains a research-stage finding and has not yet been confirmed as a planet.
Why it matters
Identifying planets in habitable zones around stars vastly different from our own helps refine models of planetary formation and atmospheric evolution. Researchers rely on these candidates to target future high-resolution telescope observations.
The host star HD 156295 is twice the radius of the sun, nine times brighter, and 2,000 degrees Celsius hotter. The candidate planet, located 140 million light-years away, has an estimated mass between 5.2 and 7.4 times that of Jupiter.
The players
TESS
A NASA space telescope designed to identify exoplanets by measuring periodic changes in stellar brightness.
NASA
The United States government agency responsible for the civil space program and the oversight of exoplanet census data.
The details
Researchers utilized data from the TESS telescope, a space-based observatory designed to survey the sky for periodic brightness dips in stars. These brightness changes, or transits, occur when an orbiting body passes between its host star and the observer. Scientists analyze the timing of these shifts to detect the gravitational influence of potential orbiting companions.
Timeline
April 18, 2018: TESS telescope launched from Cape Canaveral.
The Tech Race
This discovery extends the ongoing census performed under the NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program. It adds to a registry of over 6,300 confirmed exoplanets discovered through various detection methods.
This finding does not impact current consumer technology or personal workflows. Scientists plan to conduct follow-up observations with other telescopes to determine if the candidate is a confirmed planet.
The takeaway
The search for terrestrial analogues continues to produce candidates around stars with vastly different thermal properties than our sun. Observers should watch for follow-up studies that may confirm the existence of HD 156295 b.
Further reading
For more context on current orbital survey techniques, visit the Space section.
Live Poll
Do you believe the pursuit of space exploration is a worthy use of national resources?
