WASP-130 b
WASP-130 b is a cold gas giant orbiting the G6 star WASP-130 in the constellation Centaurus. It lies about 562 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2016 using the transit method.
How Big Is WASP-130 b?
WASP-130 b has a radius of 9.98 times that of Earth, or 0.89 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 391 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 2.34 g/cm³ — between that of rocky and gaseous planets.
Is WASP-130 b in the Habitable Zone?
WASP-130 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of WASP-130. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of WASP-130: 0.689–1.630 AU (conservative: 0.873–1.546 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Temperature on WASP-130 b
The equilibrium temperature of WASP-130 b is about 833 K (560 °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 WASP-130 b — one full orbit around WASP-130 — lasts 11.6 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.101 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun.
How Was WASP-130 b Discovered?
WASP-130 b was discovered in 2016 using the transit method, with observations from SuperWASP-South.
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 WASP-130 b?
WASP-130 b is 561.8 light-years (172.3 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1465. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 9,887,680 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. WASP-130 b scores 0.10, ranking #4,447 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: WASP-130
WASP-130
- Spectral type
- G6
- Surface temperature
- 5,625 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.04 M☉
- Radius
- 0.96 R☉
- Age
- 2.0 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
Planetary System
WASP-130 b is the only planet known to orbit WASP-130 so far.
WASP-130 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 9.976 Earth radii (0.890 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 390.93 Earth masses (1.230 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 2.34 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 11.55 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.101 AU |
| Equilibrium temperature | 833 K (560 °C) |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.10 |
| Distance from Earth | 561.8 light-years (172.3 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Centaurus |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | SuperWASP-South |
| Discovery year | 2016 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2016-11-30. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About WASP-130 b
Is WASP-130 b habitable?
No — WASP-130 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is WASP-130 b?
WASP-130 b is about 562 light-years from Earth in the constellation Centaurus. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 9,887,680 years to get there.
How big is WASP-130 b compared to Earth?
WASP-130 b has 9.98 times the radius of Earth and about 391 times its mass.
How long is a year on WASP-130 b?
One orbit around WASP-130 takes 11.6 Earth days — short enough that 32 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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