WD 1145+017 b
WD 1145+017 b (also known by its EPIC designation EPIC 201563164.01), is a confirmed exoplanetary object, likely rocky, orbiting around and being vaporized by the white dwarf star WD 1145+017. It was discovered by NASA's Kepler spacecraft on its "Second Light" mission. It is located about 570 light-years (174 parsecs) away from Earth in the constellation of Virgo. The object was found by using the transit method, in which the dimming effect that a planet causes as it crosses in front of its star is measured.
Artist's impression of a rocky planetary object (center) being vaporized by its parent star, similar to the WD 1145+017 system. | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | K2 (Kepler) mission |
| Discovery date | 21 October 2015 |
| Transit method | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| ~0.005 AU | |
| 0.1875 ± 0.04 d | |
| Inclination | ~89? |
| Star | WD 1145+017 |
| Physical characteristics | |
Mean radius | ~0.15 R🜨 |
| Mass | 0.0006678 ME |
| Temperature | ≥4,000 K (3,730 °C; 6,740 °F) |
The minor planet is notable because it is the first observed planetary object to transit a white dwarf, providing clues of its possible interactions when its parent star reached the end of its lifetime as a red giant. The object is also the least-massive exoplanetary object ever discovered, being about the mass of the dwarf planet Haumea.