Closest planets to Jupiter
Pro Research Analysisby 
Searched over 200M research papers
Closest Jupiter-like Exoplanets: Epsilon Indi A b and Epsilon Eridani b
Recent research has identified Epsilon Indi A b and Epsilon Eridani b as the two closest Jupiter-like exoplanets to our Solar System. Epsilon Indi A b is a gas giant with a mass of about 3 times that of Jupiter and an orbital period of approximately 43–45 years, making it the nearest known cold Jupiter analog. Epsilon Eridani b, on the other hand, has a mass close to that of Jupiter (about 0.98–1 Jupiter mass) and orbits its star at a moderate distance of 3.5 AU with a nearly circular orbit. Both planets are considered excellent benchmarks for studying gas giant formation and are prime targets for direct imaging with advanced telescopes like JWST and Gaia, which have helped refine their orbital and mass measurements Feng2023Feng2019Thompson2025.
Other Notable Jupiter Analogs Near the Solar System
Another notable system is HD 70642, which hosts a planet about twice the mass of Jupiter in a near-circular orbit, making it a close analog to our own Jupiter in terms of orbital characteristics. This system is also among the closest known solar system analogs discovered to date .
Minor Planets and Jupiter’s Neighborhood
Within our own Solar System, several groups of minor planets, such as the Trojans and the Hilda group, have orbits that bring them relatively close to Jupiter. However, mechanisms like orbital libration prevent these minor planets from having very close encounters with Jupiter, maintaining a minimum distance of about 2.6 AU for Trojans and 1.1 AU for some Hilda group members .
Hot Jupiters: Close-in Gas Giants
There are also many "hot Jupiters"—gas giant planets that orbit very close to their host stars, often within 0.05 AU. Examples include HD 189733b and WASP-18b, which have extremely short orbital periods and are much closer to their stars than Jupiter is to the Sun. These planets are not close to Jupiter in space, but they are similar in mass and composition. Their proximity to their stars leads to unique atmospheric and tidal phenomena, making them important for understanding planetary migration and evolution Knutson2007Hellier2009Lillo-Box2016+1 MORE.
Conclusion
The closest Jupiter-like exoplanets to our Solar System are Epsilon Indi A b and Epsilon Eridani b, both of which are cold gas giants with well-constrained orbits and masses. Other systems, like HD 70642, also provide valuable analogs to Jupiter. Within our Solar System, groups of minor planets approach Jupiter’s orbit but are kept at a safe distance by orbital dynamics. Additionally, hot Jupiters around other stars offer insight into the diversity and evolution of gas giant planets. Together, these discoveries help astronomers better understand the formation and characteristics of Jupiter-like planets both near and far Feng2023Feng2019Thompson2025+6 MORE.
Sources and full results
Most relevant research papers on this topic