WASP-85 A b
WASP-85 A b is a hot Jupiter orbiting the G5 V star WASP-85 A in the constellation Virgo. It lies about 463 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2016 using the transit method.
How Big Is WASP-85 A b?
WASP-85 A b has a radius of 13.90 times that of Earth, or 1.24 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 402 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 0.88 g/cm³ — closer to gas planets like Jupiter (1.33 g/cm³).
Is WASP-85 A b in the Habitable Zone?
WASP-85 A b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of WASP-85 A. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of WASP-85 A: 0.769–1.798 AU (conservative: 0.974–1.705 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Temperature on WASP-85 A b
The equilibrium temperature of WASP-85 A b is about 1,452 K (1,179 °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-85 A b — one full orbit around WASP-85 A — lasts 2.66 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.039 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun.
How Was WASP-85 A b Discovered?
WASP-85 A b was discovered in 2016 using the transit method, with observations from K2.
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-85 A b?
WASP-85 A b is 462.8 light-years (141.9 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1564. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 8,145,280 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-85 A b scores 0.07, ranking #5,016 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: WASP-85 A
WASP-85 A b belongs to a system of 2 stars; it orbits WASP-85 A.
WASP-85 A
- Spectral type
- G5 V
- Surface temperature
- 6,112 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.09 M☉
- Radius
- 0.94 R☉
Planetary System
WASP-85 A b is the only planet known to orbit WASP-85 A so far.
WASP-85 A b — Complete Data
| Radius | 13.899 Earth radii (1.240 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 402.05 Earth masses (1.265 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 0.88 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 2.66 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.039 AU |
| Equilibrium temperature | 1,452 K (1,179 °C) |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.07 |
| Distance from Earth | 462.8 light-years (141.9 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | K2 |
| Discovery year | 2016 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2019-12-02. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About WASP-85 A b
Is WASP-85 A b habitable?
No — WASP-85 A b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is WASP-85 A b?
WASP-85 A b is about 463 light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 8,145,280 years to get there.
How big is WASP-85 A b compared to Earth?
WASP-85 A b has 13.90 times the radius of Earth and about 402 times its mass.
How long is a year on WASP-85 A b?
One orbit around WASP-85 A takes 2.7 Earth days — short enough that 138 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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