Researchers analyzed data from 16,440 variable stars captured by the TESS space telescope and identified a potential exoplanet orbiting the star HD 156295. This star is a blue-white A-type giant located 140 light-years away in the Draco constellation, with a mass 1.67 times that of the Sun and a temperature of approximately 7,767 Kelvin.
The candidate object, HD 156295 b, is estimated to be 6.3 times more massive than Jupiter. It orbits at a distance of 4 astronomical units with a period of 2,200 days. The radiation flux at this orbit is about 60% of the solar flux received by Earth. Scientists used the pulsation timing method to detect the planet, as the star exhibits stable delta Scuti pulsations.
The current reliability estimate for the discovery is 50%, as pulsation variations can mimic orbital signals. The TESS dataset covers 2,000 days, which is shorter than the full orbital period. Researchers plan to use 2027 TESS data and Gaia DR4 astrometry to confirm the existence of the planet, as Gaia is expected to detect a 300-microsecond shift.
The study also identified 8 brown dwarf candidates within the same sample, with masses ranging from 25 to 59 Jupiter masses and orbital periods between 1,130 and 2,800 days. Six of these objects fall into the brown dwarf desert. Future observations with the PLATO telescope are expected to improve the precision of pulsation timing for hot A-type stars.
