WASP-8 b
WASP-8 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting WASP-8 in the constellation Sculptor. It lies about 293 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2010 using the transit method.
How Big Is WASP-8 b?
WASP-8 b has a radius of 12.67 times that of Earth, or 1.13 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 807 times that of Earth.
Is WASP-8 b in the Habitable Zone?
The position of WASP-8 b relative to the habitable zone of WASP-8 cannot be precisely determined from the available orbital data.
Habitable zone of WASP-8: 0.734–1.737 AU (conservative: 0.929–1.647 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-8 b — one full orbit around WASP-8 — lasts 8.16 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. Its orbit is highly elliptical (eccentricity 0.31), swinging dramatically closer to and farther from its star.
How Was WASP-8 b Discovered?
WASP-8 b was discovered in 2010 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-8 b?
WASP-8 b is 293.4 light-years (90.0 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1733. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 5,163,840 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-8 b scores 0.08, ranking #4,716 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: WASP-8
WASP-8 b belongs to a system of 2 stars; it orbits WASP-8.
WASP-8
- Surface temperature
- 5,600 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.34 M☉
- Radius
- 1.03 R☉
The WASP-8 Planetary System
WASP-8 b is one of 2 known planets in the WASP-8 system. Its siblings:
- WASP-8 c (Cold Gas Giant)
WASP-8 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 12.666 Earth radii (1.130 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 807.29 Earth masses (2.540 Jupiter masses) |
| Orbital period | 8.16 days |
| Eccentricity | 0.310 |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.08 |
| Distance from Earth | 293.4 light-years (90.0 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Sculptor |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | SuperWASP |
| Discovery year | 2010 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2018-10-24. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About WASP-8 b
Is WASP-8 b habitable?
WASP-8 b is not known to orbit within the habitable zone of WASP-8, and as a hot Jupiter it is an unlikely candidate for life as we know it.
How far away is WASP-8 b?
WASP-8 b is about 293 light-years from Earth in the constellation Sculptor. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 5,163,840 years to get there.
How big is WASP-8 b compared to Earth?
WASP-8 b has 12.67 times the radius of Earth and about 807 times its mass.
How long is a year on WASP-8 b?
One orbit around WASP-8 takes 8.2 Earth days — short enough that 45 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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