WASP-80 b
WASP-80 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting WASP-80 in the constellation Aquila. It lies about 162 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2012 using the transit method.
How Big Is WASP-80 b?
WASP-80 b has a radius of 11.20 times that of Earth, or 1.00 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 171 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 0.72 g/cm³ — closer to gas planets like Jupiter (1.33 g/cm³).
Is WASP-80 b in the Habitable Zone?
WASP-80 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of WASP-80. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of WASP-80: 0.244–0.612 AU (conservative: 0.308–0.580 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Temperature on WASP-80 b
The equilibrium temperature of WASP-80 b is about 825 K (552 °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-80 b — one full orbit around WASP-80 — lasts 3.07 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.034 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. Its orbit is nearly circular (eccentricity 0.002).
How Was WASP-80 b Discovered?
WASP-80 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-80 b?
WASP-80 b is 162.4 light-years (49.8 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1864. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 2,858,240 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-80 b scores 0.09, ranking #4,500 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: WASP-80
WASP-80
- Surface temperature
- 4,143 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.58 M☉
- Radius
- 0.59 R☉
Planetary System
WASP-80 b is the only planet known to orbit WASP-80 so far.
WASP-80 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 11.198 Earth radii (0.999 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 170.99 Earth masses (0.538 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 0.72 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 3.07 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.034 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.002 |
| Equilibrium temperature | 825 K (552 °C) |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.09 |
| Distance from Earth | 162.4 light-years (49.8 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Aquila |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | SuperWASP |
| Discovery year | 2012 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2015-04-16. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About WASP-80 b
Is WASP-80 b habitable?
No — WASP-80 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is WASP-80 b?
WASP-80 b is about 162 light-years from Earth in the constellation Aquila. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 2,858,240 years to get there.
How big is WASP-80 b compared to Earth?
WASP-80 b has 11.20 times the radius of Earth and about 171 times its mass.
How long is a year on WASP-80 b?
One orbit around WASP-80 takes 3.1 Earth days — short enough that 119 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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