WASP-44 b
WASP-44 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting the G8 V star WASP-44 in the constellation Cetus. It lies about 1,189 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2011 using the transit method.
How Big Is WASP-44 b?
WASP-44 b has a radius of 12.33 times that of Earth, or 1.10 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 277 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 0.81 g/cm³ — closer to gas planets like Jupiter (1.33 g/cm³).
Is WASP-44 b in the Habitable Zone?
WASP-44 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of WASP-44. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of WASP-44: 0.610–1.453 AU (conservative: 0.773–1.378 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Temperature on WASP-44 b
The equilibrium temperature of WASP-44 b is about 1,337 K (1,064 °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 533 times the stellar energy that Earth gets from the Sun.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on WASP-44 b — one full orbit around WASP-44 — lasts 2.42 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.035 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun.
How Was WASP-44 b Discovered?
WASP-44 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-44 b?
WASP-44 b is 1,188.9 light-years (364.5 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet about 1,189 years ago. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 20,924,640 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-44 b scores 0.07, ranking #4,818 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: WASP-44
WASP-44
- Spectral type
- G8 V
- Surface temperature
- 5,420 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.94 M☉
- Radius
- 0.91 R☉
- Luminosity
- 0.6342 L☉
Planetary System
WASP-44 b is the only planet known to orbit WASP-44 so far.
WASP-44 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 12.330 Earth radii (1.100 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 276.51 Earth masses (0.870 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 0.81 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 2.42 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.035 AU |
| Equilibrium temperature | 1,337 K (1,064 °C) |
| Stellar irradiation | 533.00× Earth |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.07 |
| Distance from Earth | 1,188.9 light-years (364.5 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | SuperWASP |
| Discovery year | 2011 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2019-09-20. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About WASP-44 b
Is WASP-44 b habitable?
No — WASP-44 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is WASP-44 b?
WASP-44 b is about 1,189 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cetus. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 20,924,640 years to get there.
How big is WASP-44 b compared to Earth?
WASP-44 b has 12.33 times the radius of Earth and about 277 times its mass.
How long is a year on WASP-44 b?
One orbit around WASP-44 takes 2.4 Earth days — short enough that 151 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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