WASP-98 b
WASP-98 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting WASP-98 in the constellation Eridanus. It lies about 919 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2014 using the transit method.
How Big Is WASP-98 b?
WASP-98 b has a radius of 12.82 times that of Earth, or 1.14 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 293 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 0.76 g/cm³ — closer to gas planets like Jupiter (1.33 g/cm³).
Is WASP-98 b in the Habitable Zone?
WASP-98 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of WASP-98. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of WASP-98: 0.508–1.207 AU (conservative: 0.643–1.145 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Temperature on WASP-98 b
The equilibrium temperature of WASP-98 b is about 1,171 K (898 °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-98 b — one full orbit around WASP-98 — lasts 2.96 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.038 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun.
How Was WASP-98 b Discovered?
WASP-98 b was discovered in 2014 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-98 b?
WASP-98 b is 918.9 light-years (281.7 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1108. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 16,172,640 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-98 b scores 0.07, ranking #4,860 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: WASP-98
WASP-98 b belongs to a system of 2 stars; it orbits WASP-98.
WASP-98
- Surface temperature
- 5,473 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.81 M☉
- Radius
- 0.74 R☉
- Age
- 2.7 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
Planetary System
WASP-98 b is the only planet known to orbit WASP-98 so far.
WASP-98 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 12.823 Earth radii (1.144 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 293.04 Earth masses (0.922 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 0.76 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 2.96 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.038 AU |
| Equilibrium temperature | 1,171 K (898 °C) |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.07 |
| Distance from Earth | 918.9 light-years (281.7 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Eridanus |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | SuperWASP |
| Discovery year | 2014 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2016-08-04. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About WASP-98 b
Is WASP-98 b habitable?
No — WASP-98 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is WASP-98 b?
WASP-98 b is about 919 light-years from Earth in the constellation Eridanus. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 16,172,640 years to get there.
How big is WASP-98 b compared to Earth?
WASP-98 b has 12.82 times the radius of Earth and about 293 times its mass.
How long is a year on WASP-98 b?
One orbit around WASP-98 takes 3.0 Earth days — short enough that 123 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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