WASP-160 B b
WASP-160 B b is a hot Jupiter orbiting the K0 V star WASP-160 B in the constellation Columba. It lies about 940 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2018 using the transit method.
How Big Is WASP-160 B b?
WASP-160 B b has a radius of 12.22 times that of Earth, or 1.09 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 88.4 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 0.28 g/cm³ — closer to gas planets like Jupiter (1.33 g/cm³).
Is WASP-160 B b in the Habitable Zone?
WASP-160 B b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of WASP-160 B. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of WASP-160 B: 0.563–1.346 AU (conservative: 0.713–1.276 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Temperature on WASP-160 B b
The equilibrium temperature of WASP-160 B b is about 1,119 K (846 °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-160 B b — one full orbit around WASP-160 B — lasts 3.77 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.045 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun.
How Was WASP-160 B b Discovered?
WASP-160 B b was discovered in 2018 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-160 B b?
WASP-160 B b is 940.4 light-years (288.3 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1086. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 16,551,040 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-160 B b scores 0.08, ranking #4,735 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: WASP-160 B
WASP-160 B b belongs to a system of 2 stars; it orbits WASP-160 B.
WASP-160 B
- Spectral type
- K0 V
- Surface temperature
- 5,298 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.87 M☉
- Radius
- 0.87 R☉
- Age
- 9.8 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
Planetary System
WASP-160 B b is the only planet known to orbit WASP-160 B so far.
WASP-160 B b — Complete Data
| Radius | 12.218 Earth radii (1.090 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 88.36 Earth masses (0.278 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 0.28 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 3.77 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.045 AU |
| Equilibrium temperature | 1,119 K (846 °C) |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.08 |
| Distance from Earth | 940.4 light-years (288.3 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Columba |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | SuperWASP-South |
| Discovery year | 2018 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2018-11-02. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About WASP-160 B b
Is WASP-160 B b habitable?
No — WASP-160 B b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is WASP-160 B b?
WASP-160 B b is about 940 light-years from Earth in the constellation Columba. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 16,551,040 years to get there.
How big is WASP-160 B b compared to Earth?
WASP-160 B b has 12.22 times the radius of Earth and about 88.4 times its mass.
How long is a year on WASP-160 B b?
One orbit around WASP-160 B takes 3.8 Earth days — short enough that 97 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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