WASP-65 b
WASP-65 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting the G6 star WASP-65 in the constellation Cancer. It lies about 893 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2013 using the transit method.
How Big Is WASP-65 b?
WASP-65 b has a radius of 12.46 times that of Earth, or 1.11 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 493 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 1.50 g/cm³ — closer to gas planets like Jupiter (1.33 g/cm³).
Is WASP-65 b in the Habitable Zone?
WASP-65 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of WASP-65. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of WASP-65: 0.720–1.704 AU (conservative: 0.911–1.615 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-65 b
The equilibrium temperature of WASP-65 b is about 1,480 K (1,207 °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-65 b — one full orbit around WASP-65 — lasts 2.31 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.033 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun.
How Was WASP-65 b Discovered?
WASP-65 b was discovered in 2013 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-65 b?
WASP-65 b is 892.7 light-years (273.7 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1134. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 15,711,520 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-65 b scores 0.07, ranking #4,877 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: WASP-65
WASP-65
- Spectral type
- G6
- Surface temperature
- 5,600 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.93 M☉
- Radius
- 1.01 R☉
- Age
- 8.0 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
Planetary System
WASP-65 b is the only planet known to orbit WASP-65 so far.
WASP-65 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 12.464 Earth radii (1.112 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 492.62 Earth masses (1.550 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 1.50 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 2.31 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.033 AU |
| Equilibrium temperature | 1,480 K (1,207 °C) |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.07 |
| Distance from Earth | 892.7 light-years (273.7 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Cancer |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | SuperWASP |
| Discovery year | 2013 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2014-05-14. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About WASP-65 b
Is WASP-65 b habitable?
No — WASP-65 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is WASP-65 b?
WASP-65 b is about 893 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cancer. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 15,711,520 years to get there.
How big is WASP-65 b compared to Earth?
WASP-65 b has 12.46 times the radius of Earth and about 493 times its mass.
How long is a year on WASP-65 b?
One orbit around WASP-65 takes 2.3 Earth days — short enough that 158 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
Explore WASP-65 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.
