NASA (Exoplanet Catalog artwork)WASP-76b
Where it rains molten iron
Overview
WASP-76b is an exoplanet classified as a Hot Jupiter. It is located in the constellation Pisces and orbits its host star, WASP-76, at a distance of approximately 0.033 AU. Its orbital period is approximately 1.8 days, and its mass is about 0.92 times that of Jupiter. The discovery of WASP-76b took place on October 21, 2013; as of 2022, it is the only known planet in the WASP-76 system. The equilibrium temperature of WASP-76b is estimated to be around 2,190 K, However, the measured daytime temperature is higher, reaching approximately 2,500 ± 200 K.
Source: Wikipedia
NASA: WASP-76 b is a gas giant exoplanet that orbits a F-type star. Its mass is 0.894 Jupiters, it takes 1.8 days to complete one orbit of its star, and is 0.033 AU from its star. Its discovery was announced in 2016.
Why it matters
- Dayside temperatures above 2,400 °C vaporise iron; winds carry it to the cooler night side where it condenses.
- ESPRESSO at the VLT detected the iron signature only on the evening terminator in 2020.
- Later studies found barium and other heavy elements high in its atmosphere.
NASA puts it this way: “WASP-76 b is a gas giant exoplanet that orbits an F-type star. Its mass is 0.92 Jupiters, it takes 1.8 days to complete one orbit of its star, and is 0.033 AU from its star. Its discovery was announced in 2016.”
Discovery & system
- Discovered
- 2016 · Transit · SuperWASP
- Discovery paper
- West et al. 2016
- Host star
- WASP-76 · F7 · 6,329 K · 1.46 M☉
- System
- 1 known planet, 2 stars
The system
| World | Period | Distance | Radius | Mass | Temp. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WASP-76 b | 1.81 d | 0.033 AU | 1.85 R♃ | 0.89 M♃ | 2,228 K |
By the numbers
- Radius
- 1.85 R♃20.8 R⊕
- Mass
- 0.89 M♃284 M⊕
- Orbital period
- 1.81 d0 yr
- Distance from star
- 0.033 AU4.94 million km
- Eccentricity
- 0nearly circular
- Equilibrium temp.
- 2,228 K1,955 °C
- Starlight received
- 4,104 × Earth
- Distance from Earth
- 634 ly194.5 pc
- Density
- 0.17 g/cm³0.03 × Earth
Sources
Image: NASA (Exoplanet Catalog artwork) · NASA media: generally free of copyright · image page
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Taglines and highlights are editorial.