Wolf 327 b
Wolf 327 b is a terrestrial planet orbiting the M2.5 V star Wolf 327 in the constellation Leo Minor. It lies about 93 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2024 using the transit method.
How Big Is Wolf 327 b?
Wolf 327 b has a radius of 1.24 times that of Earth. Its mass is 2.5 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 7.24 g/cm³ — comparable to rocky planets like Earth (5.51 g/cm³).
Is Wolf 327 b in the Habitable Zone?
Wolf 327 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of Wolf 327. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of Wolf 327: 0.125–0.324 AU (conservative: 0.159–0.307 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Temperature on Wolf 327 b
The equilibrium temperature of Wolf 327 b is about 996 K (723 °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. It receives 234 times the stellar energy that Earth gets from the Sun.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on Wolf 327 b — one full orbit around Wolf 327 — lasts just 13.8 hours, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.010 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun.
How Was Wolf 327 b Discovered?
Wolf 327 b was discovered in 2024 using the transit method, with observations from Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).
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 Wolf 327 b?
Wolf 327 b is 93.1 light-years (28.5 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1933. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 1,638,560 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 327 b scores 0.29, ranking #1,570 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: Wolf 327
Wolf 327
- Spectral type
- M2.5 V
- Surface temperature
- 3,542 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.41 M☉
- Radius
- 0.41 R☉
- Luminosity
- 0.0234 L☉
- Age
- 4.1 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
Planetary System
Wolf 327 b is the only planet known to orbit Wolf 327 so far.
Wolf 327 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 1.240 Earth radii (0.111 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 2.53 Earth masses (0.008 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 7.24 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 0.57 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.010 AU |
| Equilibrium temperature | 996 K (723 °C) |
| Stellar irradiation | 233.90× Earth |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.29 |
| Distance from Earth | 93.1 light-years (28.5 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Leo Minor |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) |
| Discovery year | 2024 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2024-02-05. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About Wolf 327 b
Is Wolf 327 b habitable?
No — Wolf 327 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is Wolf 327 b?
Wolf 327 b is about 93 light-years from Earth in the constellation Leo Minor. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 1,638,560 years to get there.
How big is Wolf 327 b compared to Earth?
Wolf 327 b has 1.24 times the radius of Earth and about 2.5 times its mass.
How long is a year on Wolf 327 b?
One orbit around Wolf 327 takes 0.6 Earth days — short enough that 637 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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