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 lies about 33 light-years from Earth and 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.
How Far Away Is WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A b?
WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A b is 32.9 light-years (10.1 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1994. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 579,040 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. WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A b scores 0.08, ranking #4,609 of 5,565 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 |
| Distance from Earth | 32.9 light-years (10.1 parsecs) |
| 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 far away is WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A b?
WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A b is about 33 light-years from Earth in the constellation Coma Berenices. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 579,040 years to get there.
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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