WASP-19 b
WASP-19 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting WASP-19 in the constellation Vela. It lies about 875 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2009 using the transit method.
How Big Is WASP-19 b?
WASP-19 b has a radius of 15.86 times that of Earth, or 1.42 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 367 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 0.51 g/cm³ — closer to gas planets like Jupiter (1.33 g/cm³).
Is WASP-19 b in the Habitable Zone?
WASP-19 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of WASP-19. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of WASP-19: 0.721–1.706 AU (conservative: 0.913–1.617 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Temperature on WASP-19 b
The equilibrium temperature of WASP-19 b is about 2,113 K (1,840 °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. It receives 3,320 times the stellar energy that Earth gets from the Sun.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on WASP-19 b — one full orbit around WASP-19 — lasts just 18.9 hours, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.017 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. Its orbit is nearly circular (eccentricity 0.013).
How Was WASP-19 b Discovered?
WASP-19 b was discovered in 2009 using the transit method, with observations from SuperWASP.
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-19 b?
WASP-19 b is 875.2 light-years (268.3 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1151. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 15,403,520 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-19 b scores 0.06, ranking #5,192 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: WASP-19
WASP-19
- Surface temperature
- 5,616 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.97 M☉
- Radius
- 1.01 R☉
- Luminosity
- 0.9050 L☉
- Age
- 6.4 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
Planetary System
WASP-19 b is the only planet known to orbit WASP-19 so far.
WASP-19 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 15.861 Earth radii (1.415 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 366.77 Earth masses (1.154 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 0.51 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 0.79 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.017 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.013 |
| Equilibrium temperature | 2,113 K (1,840 °C) |
| Stellar irradiation | 3,320.00× Earth |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.06 |
| Distance from Earth | 875.2 light-years (268.3 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Vela |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | SuperWASP |
| Discovery year | 2009 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2022-01-31. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About WASP-19 b
Is WASP-19 b habitable?
No — WASP-19 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is WASP-19 b?
WASP-19 b is about 875 light-years from Earth in the constellation Vela. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 15,403,520 years to get there.
How big is WASP-19 b compared to Earth?
WASP-19 b has 15.86 times the radius of Earth and about 367 times its mass.
How long is a year on WASP-19 b?
One orbit around WASP-19 takes 0.8 Earth days — short enough that 463 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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