WASP-49 b
WASP-49 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting WASP-49 in the constellation Lepus. It lies about 635 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2012 using the transit method.
How Big Is WASP-49 b?
WASP-49 b has a radius of 12.44 times that of Earth, or 1.11 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 118 times that of Earth.
Is WASP-49 b in the Habitable Zone?
The position of WASP-49 b relative to the habitable zone of WASP-49 cannot be precisely determined from the available orbital data.
Habitable zone of WASP-49: 0.691–1.636 AU (conservative: 0.875–1.551 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-49 b — one full orbit around WASP-49 — lasts 2.78 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year.
How Was WASP-49 b Discovered?
WASP-49 b was discovered in 2012 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-49 b?
WASP-49 b is 634.5 light-years (194.6 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1392. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 11,167,200 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-49 b scores 0.07, ranking #4,852 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: WASP-49
WASP-49 b belongs to a system of 2 stars; it orbits WASP-49.
WASP-49
- Surface temperature
- 5,600 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.92 M☉
- Radius
- 0.97 R☉
Planetary System
WASP-49 b is the only planet known to orbit WASP-49 so far.
WASP-49 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 12.442 Earth radii (1.110 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 117.60 Earth masses (0.370 Jupiter masses) |
| Orbital period | 2.78 days |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.07 |
| Distance from Earth | 634.5 light-years (194.6 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Lepus |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | SuperWASP |
| Discovery year | 2012 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2018-04-25. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About WASP-49 b
Is WASP-49 b habitable?
WASP-49 b is not known to orbit within the habitable zone of WASP-49, and as a hot Jupiter it is an unlikely candidate for life as we know it.
How far away is WASP-49 b?
WASP-49 b is about 635 light-years from Earth in the constellation Lepus. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 11,167,200 years to get there.
How big is WASP-49 b compared to Earth?
WASP-49 b has 12.44 times the radius of Earth and about 118 times its mass.
How long is a year on WASP-49 b?
One orbit around WASP-49 takes 2.8 Earth days — short enough that 131 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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