WASP-72 b
WASP-72 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting WASP-72 in the constellation Fornax. It lies about 1,418 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2012 using the transit method.
How Big Is WASP-72 b?
WASP-72 b has a radius of 14.46 times that of Earth, or 1.29 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 731 times that of Earth.
Is WASP-72 b in the Habitable Zone?
The position of WASP-72 b relative to the habitable zone of WASP-72 cannot be precisely determined from the available orbital data.
Habitable zone of WASP-72: 1.860–4.336 AU (conservative: 2.356–4.111 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-72 b — one full orbit around WASP-72 — lasts 2.22 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year.
How Was WASP-72 b Discovered?
WASP-72 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-72 b?
WASP-72 b is 1,418.0 light-years (434.8 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet about 1,418 years ago. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 24,956,800 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-72 b scores 0.06, ranking #5,108 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: WASP-72
WASP-72
- Surface temperature
- 6,250 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 2.78 M☉
- Radius
- 2.18 R☉
Planetary System
WASP-72 b is the only planet known to orbit WASP-72 so far.
WASP-72 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 14.460 Earth radii (1.290 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 731.01 Earth masses (2.300 Jupiter masses) |
| Orbital period | 2.22 days |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.06 |
| Distance from Earth | 1,418.0 light-years (434.8 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Fornax |
| 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-72 b
Is WASP-72 b habitable?
WASP-72 b is not known to orbit within the habitable zone of WASP-72, and as a hot Jupiter it is an unlikely candidate for life as we know it.
How far away is WASP-72 b?
WASP-72 b is about 1,418 light-years from Earth in the constellation Fornax. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 24,956,800 years to get there.
How big is WASP-72 b compared to Earth?
WASP-72 b has 14.46 times the radius of Earth and about 731 times its mass.
How long is a year on WASP-72 b?
One orbit around WASP-72 takes 2.2 Earth days — short enough that 165 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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