WASP-3b
WASP-3b is an extrasolar planet orbiting the star WASP-3 located approximately 800 light-years away in the constellation Lyra. It was discovered via the transit method by SuperWASP, and follow up radial velocity observations confirmed that WASP-3b is a planet. The planet's mass and radius indicate that it is a gas giant with a similar bulk composition to Jupiter. WASP-3b has such an orbital distance around its star to classify it in the class of planets known as hot Jupiters and has an atmospheric temperature of approximately 1983 K.
Size comparison of WASP-3b with Jupiter. | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Pollacco et al. (SuperWASP) |
| Discovery site | ORM |
| Discovery date | October 31, 2007 |
| Transit | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| 0.0317+0.0006 −0.001 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0 |
| 1.8468372 ± 6e-07 d | |
| Inclination | 85.06+0.15 −0.16 |
| Star | WASP-3 |
| Physical characteristics | |
Mean radius | 1.454 ± 0.084 RJ |
| Mass | 2.06 ± 0.13 MJ |
Mean density | 1,040 kg/m3 (1,750 lb/cu yd) |
| 2.71 m/s2 (8.9 ft/s2) 26.6 g | |
| Temperature | 1983 |
WASP-3b undergoes no detectable gravitational tugging from other bodies in this system.
The study in 2012, utilizing a Rossiter–McLaughlin effect, have determined the planetary orbit is probably aligned with the equatorial plane of the star, misalignment equal to 3.3+2.5
−4.4°.