HD 150706

HD 150706 is a 7th magnitude star in the constellation of Ursa Minor. It is a remarkably Sun-like yellow dwarf (spectral type G0 V) being only 2% less massive than the Sun.

Distance to the star, 89 light years, is enough that it is not visible to the unaided eye. However, it is an easy target for binoculars. It is located only about 10° from the northern celestial pole so it is always visible on the northern hemisphere except for near the equator. Likewise, it is never visible in most of the southern hemisphere.

The star is known to have an extrasolar planet orbiting it.

HD 150706 b

The planet, designated as HD 150706 b, was discovered by the Geneva Extrasolar Planet Search Team in 2002. It has a minimum mass exactly that of Jupiter, however true mass is likely to be slightly more since the inclination of the orbital plane is not known. Mean distance from the star is one fifth less than Earth's distance from the Sun. The orbit is very eccentric, at periapsis the planet's distance is only 0.5 AU, but at apoapsis it is further than Earth from the Sun.

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