WASP-76 b
WASP-76 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting the F7 star WASP-76 in the constellation Pisces. It lies about 634 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2016 using the transit method.
How Big Is WASP-76 b?
WASP-76 b has a radius of 20.78 times that of Earth, or 1.85 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 284 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 0.17 g/cm³ — closer to gas planets like Jupiter (1.33 g/cm³).
Is WASP-76 b in the Habitable Zone?
WASP-76 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of WASP-76. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of WASP-76: 1.529–3.559 AU (conservative: 1.937–3.375 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Temperature on WASP-76 b
The equilibrium temperature of WASP-76 b is about 2,228 K (1,955 °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. It receives 4,104 times the stellar energy that Earth gets from the Sun.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on WASP-76 b — one full orbit around WASP-76 — lasts just 43.4 hours, 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-76 b Discovered?
WASP-76 b was discovered in 2016 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-76 b?
WASP-76 b is 634.2 light-years (194.5 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 11,161,920 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-76 b scores 0.05, ranking #5,305 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: WASP-76
WASP-76 b belongs to a system of 2 stars; it orbits WASP-76.
WASP-76
- Spectral type
- F7
- Surface temperature
- 6,329 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.46 M☉
- Radius
- 1.76 R☉
- Age
- 1.8 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
Planetary System
WASP-76 b is the only planet known to orbit WASP-76 so far.
WASP-76 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 20.781 Earth radii (1.854 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 284.14 Earth masses (0.894 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 0.17 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 1.81 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.033 AU |
| Equilibrium temperature | 2,228 K (1,955 °C) |
| Stellar irradiation | 4,104.00× Earth |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.05 |
| Distance from Earth | 634.2 light-years (194.5 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Pisces |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | SuperWASP |
| Discovery year | 2016 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2024-07-12. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About WASP-76 b
Is WASP-76 b habitable?
No — WASP-76 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is WASP-76 b?
WASP-76 b is about 634 light-years from Earth in the constellation Pisces. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 11,161,920 years to get there.
How big is WASP-76 b compared to Earth?
WASP-76 b has 20.78 times the radius of Earth and about 284 times its mass.
How long is a year on WASP-76 b?
One orbit around WASP-76 takes 1.8 Earth days — short enough that 202 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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