POTS-1 b
POTS-1 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting the K5 V star POTS-1 in the constellation Musca. It lies about 2,440 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2013 using the transit method.
How Big Is POTS-1 b?
POTS-1 b has a radius of 10.55 times that of Earth, or 0.94 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 734 times that of Earth.
Is POTS-1 b in the Habitable Zone?
POTS-1 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of POTS-1. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of POTS-1: 0.274–0.679 AU (conservative: 0.347–0.644 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
See the full interactive habitable-zone view in the Exoplanet Explorer app ›
Orbit and Year Length
A year on POTS-1 b — one full orbit around POTS-1 — lasts 3.16 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.037 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun.
How Was POTS-1 b Discovered?
POTS-1 b was discovered in 2013 using the transit method, with observations from La Silla Observatory.
The transit method watches a star for the tiny, regular dip in brightness that occurs when a planet crosses in front of it. The depth and timing of these dips reveal the planet's size and orbital period.
How Far Away Is POTS-1 b?
POTS-1 b is 2,439.5 light-years (748.0 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet about 2,440 years ago. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 42,935,200 years to make the journey.
Earth Similarity Index
The Earth Similarity Index (ESI) scores how physically similar a planet is to Earth, from 0 to 1, based on radius, density, escape velocity and surface temperature. POTS-1 b scores 0.10, ranking #4,432 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: POTS-1
POTS-1
- Spectral type
- K5 V
- Surface temperature
- 4,400 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.70 M☉
- Radius
- 0.59 R☉
Planetary System
POTS-1 b is the only planet known to orbit POTS-1 so far.
POTS-1 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 10.548 Earth radii (0.941 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 734.16 Earth masses (2.310 Jupiter masses) |
| Orbital period | 3.16 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.037 AU |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.10 |
| Distance from Earth | 2,439.5 light-years (748.0 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Musca |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | La Silla Observatory |
| Discovery year | 2013 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2014-05-14. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About POTS-1 b
Is POTS-1 b habitable?
No — POTS-1 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is POTS-1 b?
POTS-1 b is about 2,440 light-years from Earth in the constellation Musca. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 42,935,200 years to get there.
How big is POTS-1 b compared to Earth?
POTS-1 b has 10.55 times the radius of Earth and about 734 times its mass.
How long is a year on POTS-1 b?
One orbit around POTS-1 takes 3.2 Earth days — short enough that 116 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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