Gliese 163


Gliese 163 is an M3.5V red dwarf located 49 light years from the sun, in the constellation Dorado. Its coordinates in the night sky are RA 04h 9m 16s and Dec. -53°22'. It has a visual magnitude of 11.8 and an absolute magnitude of 10.9. Other stellar catalog names for it include HIP 19394 and LHS 188.

Planetary system

In September 2012, astronomers using the HARPS instrument announced the discovery of two planets orbiting Gliese 163. One planet, Gliese 163 c, with an orbital period of 26 days, and a minimum mass of 7.2 Earth masses, was considered potentially in the habitable zone, although hotter than Earth. A second planet, Gliese 163 b, was also announced, with a period of 1 day. It would be too hot to be considered habitable. Evidence was also found for a third planet orbiting further out than c and b. In June 2013, it was concluded that at least 3 planets orbit around the star with fourth planet being a possibility.