Tau Ceti
τ Ceti · HD 10700 · 3.65 pc · G8V · 4–5 planet candidates
Section 01
General Information
Tau Ceti is the nearest single Sun-like star and a crucial metallicity anchor at [Fe/H] ≈ −0.50 — roughly 3× less iron than the Sun and 6× less than 55 Cnc A. Comparing CHNOPS ratios and C/O across this metallicity range is a core Codex science goal.
Stellar Parameters
| Parameter | Symbol | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective temperature | Teff | ~5344 K | Literature |
| Surface gravity | log g | ~4.49 | Literature |
| Metallicity | [Fe/H] | ~−0.50 dex | Literature |
| Mass | M★ | ~0.78 M☉ | Literature |
| Spectral type | — | G8V | Cooler & less massive than Sun |
| Distance | d | 3.65 pc (11.9 ly) | Gaia DR3 |
Known Planets
| Planet | Mass | Type | Semi-major axis | Hab zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tau Cet e (candidate) | ~3.9 M⊕ | Super-Earth cand. | 0.538 AU | Marginal |
| Tau Cet f (candidate) | ~3.9 M⊕ | Super-Earth cand. | 1.334 AU | Marginal |
Section 02
NASA Interactive Visualization
Section 04
Our Findings
Section 05
References & Credits
Key Literature
Feng et al. (2017), AJ 154, 135 — planet candidates
Sousa et al. (2008) — spectroscopic parameters
di Folco et al. (2007) — interferometric diameter
Data Sources
NASA/IPAC Exoplanet Archive
SIMBAD / CDS — stellar parameters
Hipparcos / Gaia — parallax & distance
Image Credits
Image: ESA Sky / DSS2 — Tau Ceti field
Interactive sky: CDS Aladin Lite v3 / DSS2
NASA Eyes: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Pipeline
HARPS S1D — ESO Science Archive
Analysis: The Exoplanet Codex