Qatar-2 b
Qatar-2 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting Qatar-2 in the constellation Virgo. It lies about 592 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2011 using the transit method.
How Big Is Qatar-2 b?
Qatar-2 b has a radius of 14.06 times that of Earth, or 1.25 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 793 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 1.57 g/cm³ — closer to gas planets like Jupiter (1.33 g/cm³).
Is Qatar-2 b in the Habitable Zone?
Qatar-2 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of Qatar-2. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of Qatar-2: 0.399–0.979 AU (conservative: 0.505–0.928 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Temperature on Qatar-2 b
The equilibrium temperature of Qatar-2 b is about 1,344 K (1,071 °C) — hot enough to melt many metals. This estimate ignores any atmosphere, which could change surface temperatures dramatically — Earth's greenhouse effect adds about 33 °C.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on Qatar-2 b — one full orbit around Qatar-2 — lasts just 32.1 hours, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.022 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun.
How Was Qatar-2 b Discovered?
Qatar-2 b was discovered in 2011 using the transit method, with observations from Qatar.
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 Qatar-2 b?
Qatar-2 b is 591.6 light-years (181.4 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1435. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 10,412,160 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. Qatar-2 b scores 0.07, ranking #5,021 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: Qatar-2
Qatar-2
- Surface temperature
- 4,645 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.74 M☉
- Radius
- 0.78 R☉
- Age
- 5.0 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
Planetary System
Qatar-2 b is the only planet known to orbit Qatar-2 so far.
Qatar-2 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 14.056 Earth radii (1.254 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 792.64 Earth masses (2.494 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 1.57 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 1.34 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.022 AU |
| Equilibrium temperature | 1,344 K (1,071 °C) |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.07 |
| Distance from Earth | 591.6 light-years (181.4 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | Qatar |
| Discovery year | 2011 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2014-11-05. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About Qatar-2 b
Is Qatar-2 b habitable?
No — Qatar-2 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is Qatar-2 b?
Qatar-2 b is about 592 light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 10,412,160 years to get there.
How big is Qatar-2 b compared to Earth?
Qatar-2 b has 14.06 times the radius of Earth and about 793 times its mass.
How long is a year on Qatar-2 b?
One orbit around Qatar-2 takes 1.3 Earth days — short enough that 273 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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