WASP-36 b
WASP-36 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting WASP-36 in the constellation Hydra. It lies about 1,260 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2011 using the transit method.
How Big Is WASP-36 b?
WASP-36 b has a radius of 14.87 times that of Earth, or 1.33 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 750 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 1.26 g/cm³ — closer to gas planets like Jupiter (1.33 g/cm³).
Is WASP-36 b in the Habitable Zone?
WASP-36 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of WASP-36. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of WASP-36: 0.778–1.824 AU (conservative: 0.985–1.729 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Temperature on WASP-36 b
The equilibrium temperature of WASP-36 b is about 1,733 K (1,460 °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-36 b — one full orbit around WASP-36 — lasts just 36.9 hours, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.027 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun.
How Was WASP-36 b Discovered?
WASP-36 b was discovered in 2011 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-36 b?
WASP-36 b is 1,260.1 light-years (386.3 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet about 1,260 years ago. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 22,177,760 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-36 b scores 0.06, ranking #5,124 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: WASP-36
WASP-36 b belongs to a system of 2 stars; it orbits WASP-36.
WASP-36
- Surface temperature
- 5,959 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.08 M☉
- Radius
- 0.99 R☉
- Age
- 1.4 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
Planetary System
WASP-36 b is the only planet known to orbit WASP-36 so far.
WASP-36 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 14.874 Earth radii (1.327 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 750.40 Earth masses (2.361 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 1.26 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 1.54 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.027 AU |
| Equilibrium temperature | 1,733 K (1,460 °C) |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.06 |
| Distance from Earth | 1,260.1 light-years (386.3 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Hydra |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | SuperWASP |
| Discovery year | 2011 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2016-04-05. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About WASP-36 b
Is WASP-36 b habitable?
No — WASP-36 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is WASP-36 b?
WASP-36 b is about 1,260 light-years from Earth in the constellation Hydra. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 22,177,760 years to get there.
How big is WASP-36 b compared to Earth?
WASP-36 b has 14.87 times the radius of Earth and about 750 times its mass.
How long is a year on WASP-36 b?
One orbit around WASP-36 takes 1.5 Earth days — short enough that 238 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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