WASP-168 b
WASP-168 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting the F9 V star WASP-168 in the constellation Puppis. It lies about 991 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2018 using the transit method.
How Big Is WASP-168 b?
WASP-168 b has a radius of 16.81 times that of Earth, or 1.50 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 133 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 0.16 g/cm³ — closer to gas planets like Jupiter (1.33 g/cm³).
Is WASP-168 b in the Habitable Zone?
WASP-168 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of WASP-168. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of WASP-168: 0.894–2.095 AU (conservative: 1.133–1.986 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Temperature on WASP-168 b
The equilibrium temperature of WASP-168 b is about 1,340 K (1,067 °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-168 b — one full orbit around WASP-168 — lasts 4.15 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.052 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun.
How Was WASP-168 b Discovered?
WASP-168 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-168 b?
WASP-168 b is 991.3 light-years (303.9 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1035. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 17,446,880 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-168 b scores 0.06, ranking #5,214 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: WASP-168
WASP-168 b belongs to a system of 2 stars; it orbits WASP-168.
WASP-168
- Spectral type
- F9 V
- Surface temperature
- 6,000 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.08 M☉
- Radius
- 1.12 R☉
- Age
- 4.0 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
Planetary System
WASP-168 b is the only planet known to orbit WASP-168 so far.
WASP-168 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 16.814 Earth radii (1.500 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 133.49 Earth masses (0.420 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 0.16 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 4.15 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.052 AU |
| Equilibrium temperature | 1,340 K (1,067 °C) |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.06 |
| Distance from Earth | 991.3 light-years (303.9 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Puppis |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | SuperWASP-South |
| Discovery year | 2018 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2018-10-24. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About WASP-168 b
Is WASP-168 b habitable?
No — WASP-168 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is WASP-168 b?
WASP-168 b is about 991 light-years from Earth in the constellation Puppis. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 17,446,880 years to get there.
How big is WASP-168 b compared to Earth?
WASP-168 b has 16.81 times the radius of Earth and about 133 times its mass.
How long is a year on WASP-168 b?
One orbit around WASP-168 takes 4.2 Earth days — short enough that 88 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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