WASP-185 b
WASP-185 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting the G0 V star WASP-185 in the constellation Virgo. It lies about 911 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2019 using the transit method.
How Big Is WASP-185 b?
WASP-185 b has a radius of 14.01 times that of Earth, or 1.25 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 311 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 0.66 g/cm³ — closer to gas planets like Jupiter (1.33 g/cm³).
Is WASP-185 b in the Habitable Zone?
WASP-185 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of WASP-185. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of WASP-185: 1.165–2.736 AU (conservative: 1.476–2.594 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Temperature on WASP-185 b
The equilibrium temperature of WASP-185 b is about 1,160 K (887 °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-185 b — one full orbit around WASP-185 — lasts 9.39 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.090 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. Its orbit is mildly elliptical (eccentricity 0.24).
How Was WASP-185 b Discovered?
WASP-185 b was discovered in 2019 using the transit method, with observations from WASP-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-185 b?
WASP-185 b is 911.1 light-years (279.4 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1115. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 16,035,360 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-185 b scores 0.07, ranking #4,985 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: WASP-185
WASP-185
- Spectral type
- G0 V
- Surface temperature
- 5,900 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.12 M☉
- Radius
- 1.50 R☉
- Age
- 6.6 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
Planetary System
WASP-185 b is the only planet known to orbit WASP-185 so far.
WASP-185 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 14.011 Earth radii (1.250 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 311.47 Earth masses (0.980 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 0.66 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 9.39 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.090 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.240 |
| Equilibrium temperature | 1,160 K (887 °C) |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.07 |
| Distance from Earth | 911.1 light-years (279.4 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | WASP-South |
| Discovery year | 2019 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2019-10-02. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About WASP-185 b
Is WASP-185 b habitable?
No — WASP-185 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is WASP-185 b?
WASP-185 b is about 911 light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 16,035,360 years to get there.
How big is WASP-185 b compared to Earth?
WASP-185 b has 14.01 times the radius of Earth and about 311 times its mass.
How long is a year on WASP-185 b?
One orbit around WASP-185 takes 9.4 Earth days — short enough that 39 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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