WASP-148 b
WASP-148 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting WASP-148 in the constellation Hercules. It lies about 804 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2020 using the transit method.
How Big Is WASP-148 b?
WASP-148 b has a radius of 8.47 times that of Earth, or 0.76 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 91.2 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 0.83 g/cm³ — closer to gas planets like Jupiter (1.33 g/cm³).
Is WASP-148 b in the Habitable Zone?
WASP-148 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of WASP-148. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of WASP-148: 0.648–1.536 AU (conservative: 0.821–1.456 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 WASP-148 b — one full orbit around WASP-148 — lasts 8.80 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.082 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. Its orbit is mildly elliptical (eccentricity 0.21).
How Was WASP-148 b Discovered?
WASP-148 b was discovered in 2020 using the transit method, with observations from SuperWASP-North.
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-148 b?
WASP-148 b is 803.5 light-years (246.4 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1223. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 14,141,600 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-148 b scores 0.11, ranking #4,381 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: WASP-148
WASP-148
- Surface temperature
- 5,555 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.95 M☉
- Radius
- 0.91 R☉
- Luminosity
- 0.7260 L☉
- Age
- 3.6 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
The WASP-148 Planetary System
WASP-148 b is one of 2 known planets in the WASP-148 system. Its siblings:
- WASP-148 c (Cold Gas Giant)
WASP-148 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 8.474 Earth radii (0.756 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 91.22 Earth masses (0.287 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 0.83 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 8.80 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.082 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.208 |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.11 |
| Distance from Earth | 803.5 light-years (246.4 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Hercules |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | SuperWASP-North |
| Discovery year | 2020 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2022-10-03. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About WASP-148 b
Is WASP-148 b habitable?
No — WASP-148 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is WASP-148 b?
WASP-148 b is about 804 light-years from Earth in the constellation Hercules. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 14,141,600 years to get there.
How big is WASP-148 b compared to Earth?
WASP-148 b has 8.47 times the radius of Earth and about 91.2 times its mass.
How long is a year on WASP-148 b?
One orbit around WASP-148 takes 8.8 Earth days — short enough that 41 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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