WASP-53 b
WASP-53 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting WASP-53 in the constellation Cetus. It lies about 657 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2017 using the transit method.
How Big Is WASP-53 b?
WASP-53 b has a radius of 12.04 times that of Earth, or 1.07 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 678 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 2.28 g/cm³ — between that of rocky and gaseous planets.
Is WASP-53 b in the Habitable Zone?
WASP-53 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of WASP-53. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of WASP-53: 0.460–1.115 AU (conservative: 0.583–1.057 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-53 b
The equilibrium temperature of WASP-53 b is about 1,053 K (780 °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-53 b — one full orbit around WASP-53 — lasts 3.31 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.041 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. Its orbit is nearly circular (eccentricity 0.030).
How Was WASP-53 b Discovered?
WASP-53 b was discovered in 2017 using the transit method, with observations from Multiple Facilities.
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-53 b?
WASP-53 b is 656.7 light-years (201.3 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1370. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 11,557,920 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-53 b scores 0.08, ranking #4,696 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: WASP-53
WASP-53
- Surface temperature
- 4,953 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.84 M☉
- Radius
- 0.80 R☉
- Luminosity
- 0.3440 L☉
The WASP-53 Planetary System
WASP-53 b is one of 2 known planets in the WASP-53 system. Its siblings:
WASP-53 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 12.038 Earth radii (1.074 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 677.61 Earth masses (2.132 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 2.28 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 3.31 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.041 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.030 |
| Equilibrium temperature | 1,053 K (780 °C) |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.08 |
| Distance from Earth | 656.7 light-years (201.3 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | Multiple Facilities |
| Discovery year | 2017 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2017-01-31. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About WASP-53 b
Is WASP-53 b habitable?
No — WASP-53 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is WASP-53 b?
WASP-53 b is about 657 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cetus. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 11,557,920 years to get there.
How big is WASP-53 b compared to Earth?
WASP-53 b has 12.04 times the radius of Earth and about 678 times its mass.
How long is a year on WASP-53 b?
One orbit around WASP-53 takes 3.3 Earth days — short enough that 110 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
Explore WASP-53 b in the app
Browse, filter and compare 6,000+ exoplanets on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch — with habitable-zone views, widgets and offline data.
