WASP-66 b
WASP-66 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting WASP-66 in the constellation Antlia. It lies about 1,632 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2012 using the transit method.
How Big Is WASP-66 b?
WASP-66 b has a radius of 15.69 times that of Earth, or 1.40 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 747 times that of Earth.
Is WASP-66 b in the Habitable Zone?
The position of WASP-66 b relative to the habitable zone of WASP-66 cannot be precisely determined from the available orbital data.
Habitable zone of WASP-66: 1.641–3.803 AU (conservative: 2.078–3.605 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-66 b — one full orbit around WASP-66 — lasts 4.09 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year.
How Was WASP-66 b Discovered?
WASP-66 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-66 b?
WASP-66 b is 1,631.6 light-years (500.3 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet about 1,632 years ago. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 28,716,160 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-66 b scores 0.06, ranking #5,169 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: WASP-66
WASP-66
- Surface temperature
- 6,600 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.33 M☉
- Radius
- 1.76 R☉
Planetary System
WASP-66 b is the only planet known to orbit WASP-66 so far.
WASP-66 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 15.693 Earth radii (1.400 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 746.90 Earth masses (2.350 Jupiter masses) |
| Orbital period | 4.09 days |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.06 |
| Distance from Earth | 1,631.6 light-years (500.3 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Antlia |
| 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-66 b
Is WASP-66 b habitable?
WASP-66 b is not known to orbit within the habitable zone of WASP-66, and as a hot Jupiter it is an unlikely candidate for life as we know it.
How far away is WASP-66 b?
WASP-66 b is about 1,632 light-years from Earth in the constellation Antlia. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 28,716,160 years to get there.
How big is WASP-66 b compared to Earth?
WASP-66 b has 15.69 times the radius of Earth and about 747 times its mass.
How long is a year on WASP-66 b?
One orbit around WASP-66 takes 4.1 Earth days — short enough that 89 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
Explore WASP-66 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.
