WASP-41 c
WASP-41 c is a cold gas giant orbiting WASP-41 in the constellation Centaurus. It lies about 533 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2015 using the radial velocity method. It orbits within the habitable zone of its star — the region where liquid water could exist on a planet's surface.
Is WASP-41 c in the Habitable Zone?
WASP-41 c orbits inside the conservative habitable zone of WASP-41 — the region where a rocky planet could sustain liquid water on its surface. This makes it one of the most interesting known exoplanets in the search for life.
Habitable zone of WASP-41: 0.582–1.379 AU (conservative: 0.737–1.308 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 ›
Temperature on WASP-41 c
The equilibrium temperature of WASP-41 c is about 241 K (-32 °C) — in a range broadly comparable to Earth, whose equilibrium temperature is 255 K. 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-41 c — one full orbit around WASP-41 — lasts 421.0 Earth days, longer than an Earth year. It orbits at an average distance of 1.070 AU — comparable to the inner Solar System. Its orbit is mildly elliptical (eccentricity 0.29).
How Was WASP-41 c Discovered?
WASP-41 c was discovered in 2015 using the radial velocity method, with observations from La Silla Observatory.
The radial velocity method measures the subtle wobble of a star caused by the gravitational pull of an orbiting planet, visible as periodic shifts in the star's light spectrum. The size of the wobble reveals the planet's minimum mass.
How Far Away Is WASP-41 c?
WASP-41 c is 532.8 light-years (163.4 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1494. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 9,377,280 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-41 c scores 0.37, ranking #661 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: WASP-41
WASP-41
- Surface temperature
- 5,545 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.81 M☉
- Radius
- 0.83 R☉
The WASP-41 Planetary System
WASP-41 c is one of 2 known planets in the WASP-41 system. Its siblings:
- WASP-41 b (Hot Jupiter)
WASP-41 c — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 1,010.70 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 421.00 days |
| Orbital distance | 1.070 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.294 |
| Equilibrium temperature | 241 K (-32 °C) |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.37 |
| Distance from Earth | 532.8 light-years (163.4 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Centaurus |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | La Silla Observatory |
| Discovery year | 2015 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2015-10-07. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About WASP-41 c
Is WASP-41 c habitable?
WASP-41 c orbits within the habitable zone of WASP-41, the region where liquid water could exist on a planet's surface. It sits in the conservative habitable zone — the most promising region for habitability. Whether it is actually habitable depends on its atmosphere and composition, which remain unknown.
How far away is WASP-41 c?
WASP-41 c is about 533 light-years from Earth in the constellation Centaurus. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 9,377,280 years to get there.
How long is a year on WASP-41 c?
One orbit around WASP-41 takes 421.0 Earth days.
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