WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A b
WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A b is a cold gas giant orbiting the T8.5 star WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A in the constellation Coma Berenices. It was discovered in 2012 using the imaging method.
How Big Is WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A b?
WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A b has a radius of 10.47 times that of Earth, or 0.93 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 6,992 times that of Earth.
Is WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A b in the Habitable Zone?
The position of WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A b relative to the habitable zone of WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A cannot be precisely determined from the available orbital data.
Temperature on WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A b
The equilibrium temperature of WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A b is about 450 K (177 °C) — hotter than anywhere on Earth. This estimate ignores any atmosphere, which could change surface temperatures dramatically — Earth's greenhouse effect adds about 33 °C.
Orbit and Year Length
WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A b orbits at an average distance of 8.000 AU.
How Was WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A b Discovered?
WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A b was discovered in 2012 using the imaging method, with observations from W. M. Keck Observatory.
Direct imaging captures actual pictures of a planet by blocking out the overwhelming glare of its host star. It works best for young, hot, massive planets on wide orbits.
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. WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A b scores 0.08, ranking #4,612 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A
WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A
- Spectral type
- T8.5
- Surface temperature
- 575 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.03 M☉
- Radius
- 0.09 R☉
- Age
- 6.0 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
Planetary System
WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A b is the only planet known to orbit WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A so far.
WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A b — Complete Data
| Radius | 10.468 Earth radii (0.934 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 6,992.00 Earth masses (22.000 Jupiter masses) |
| Orbital distance | 8.000 AU |
| Equilibrium temperature | 450 K (177 °C) |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.08 |
| Constellation | Coma Berenices |
| Discovery method | Imaging |
| Discovery facility | W. M. Keck Observatory |
| Discovery year | 2012 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2014-05-14. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A b
Is WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A b habitable?
WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A b is not known to orbit within the habitable zone of WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A, and as a cold gas giant it is an unlikely candidate for life as we know it.
How big is WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A b compared to Earth?
WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A b has 10.47 times the radius of Earth and about 6,992 times its mass.
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