HD 156846 b is a fascinating giant exoplanet orbiting the star HD 156846, discovered back in 2007 using the clever radial velocity technique from the ground with the CORALIE Spectrograph at the La Silla Observatory. This hefty world is a bit of a cosmic rollercoaster, traveling in a highly elliptical orbit that swings it dramatically closer and farther from its star, giving it a wildly changing climate. While we don’t have an official nickname for this distant giant, it’s a thrilling example of the surprising diversity of planets in our galaxy. Located some distance away in the constellation of Ophiuchus, HD 156846 b invites us to imagine what its skies and weather might be like on this eccentric, orbiting heavyweight.
