WASP-37 b
WASP-37 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting WASP-37 in the constellation Virgo. It lies about 1,281 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2010 using the transit method.
How Big Is WASP-37 b?
WASP-37 b has a radius of 13.00 times that of Earth, or 1.16 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 572 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 1.53 g/cm³ — closer to gas planets like Jupiter (1.33 g/cm³).
Is WASP-37 b in the Habitable Zone?
WASP-37 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of WASP-37. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of WASP-37: 0.732–1.723 AU (conservative: 0.927–1.633 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
See the full interactive habitable-zone view in the Exoplanet Explorer app ›
Orbit and Year Length
A year on WASP-37 b — one full orbit around WASP-37 — lasts 3.58 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-37 b Discovered?
WASP-37 b was discovered in 2010 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-37 b?
WASP-37 b is 1,281.1 light-years (392.8 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet about 1,281 years ago. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 22,547,360 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-37 b scores 0.07, ranking #4,920 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: WASP-37
WASP-37
- Surface temperature
- 5,800 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.93 M☉
- Radius
- 1.00 R☉
- Luminosity
- 0.9528 L☉
Planetary System
WASP-37 b is the only planet known to orbit WASP-37 so far.
WASP-37 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 13.002 Earth radii (1.160 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 572.07 Earth masses (1.800 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 1.53 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 3.58 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.045 AU |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.07 |
| Distance from Earth | 1,281.1 light-years (392.8 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | SuperWASP |
| Discovery year | 2010 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2014-05-14. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About WASP-37 b
Is WASP-37 b habitable?
No — WASP-37 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is WASP-37 b?
WASP-37 b is about 1,281 light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 22,547,360 years to get there.
How big is WASP-37 b compared to Earth?
WASP-37 b has 13.00 times the radius of Earth and about 572 times its mass.
How long is a year on WASP-37 b?
One orbit around WASP-37 takes 3.6 Earth days — short enough that 102 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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