Wolf 1061 b
Wolf 1061 b is a terrestrial planet orbiting the M3.5 star Wolf 1061 in the constellation Ophiuchus. It lies about 14 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2015 using the radial velocity method.
Is Wolf 1061 b in the Habitable Zone?
Wolf 1061 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of Wolf 1061. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of Wolf 1061: 0.083–0.216 AU (conservative: 0.105–0.205 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Temperature on Wolf 1061 b
Wolf 1061 b receives 7.34 times the stellar energy that Earth gets from the Sun.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on Wolf 1061 b — one full orbit around Wolf 1061 — lasts 4.89 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. Its orbit is mildly elliptical (eccentricity 0.15).
How Was Wolf 1061 b Discovered?
Wolf 1061 b was discovered in 2015 using the radial velocity method, with observations from La Silla Observatory.
The radial velocity method measures the subtle wobble of a star caused by the gravitational pull of an orbiting planet, visible as periodic shifts in the star's light spectrum. The size of the wobble reveals the planet's minimum mass.
How Far Away Is Wolf 1061 b?
Wolf 1061 b is 14.0 light-years (4.3 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 2012. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 246,400 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. Wolf 1061 b scores 0.46, ranking #317 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: Wolf 1061
Wolf 1061
- Spectral type
- M3.5
- Surface temperature
- 3,342 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.29 M☉
- Radius
- 0.31 R☉
- Luminosity
- 0.0102 L☉
The Wolf 1061 Planetary System
Wolf 1061 b is one of 3 known planets in the Wolf 1061 system. Its siblings:
- Wolf 1061 c (Super Earth)
- Wolf 1061 d (Super Earth)
Wolf 1061 b — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 1.91 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 4.89 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.038 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.150 |
| Stellar irradiation | 7.34× Earth |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.46 |
| Distance from Earth | 14.0 light-years (4.3 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Ophiuchus |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | La Silla Observatory |
| Discovery year | 2015 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2017-03-29. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About Wolf 1061 b
Is Wolf 1061 b habitable?
No — Wolf 1061 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is Wolf 1061 b?
Wolf 1061 b is about 14 light-years from Earth in the constellation Ophiuchus. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 246,400 years to get there.
How long is a year on Wolf 1061 b?
One orbit around Wolf 1061 takes 4.9 Earth days — short enough that 75 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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