Mu Arae b

Mu Arae b
Mu Arae b
Extrasolar planet List of extrasolar planets
Parent star
Star Mu Arae
Constellation Ara
Right ascension (α) 17h 44m 08.7s
Declination (δ) −51° 50′ 03″
Apparent magnitude (mV) 5.15
Distance 50.6 ± 0.2 ly
(15.51 ± 0.07 pc)
Spectral type G3IV–V
Mass (m) 1.10 ± 0.01 M☉
Radius (r) 1.36 ± 0.01 R☉
Temperature (T) 5820 ± 40 K
Metallicity [Fe/H] 0.30 ± 0.01
Age 6.34 ± 0.40 Gyr
Orbital elements
Semimajor axis (a) 1.497[1] AU
(223.9 Gm)
Periastron (q) 1.304 AU
(195.1 Gm)
Apastron (Q) 1.689 AU
(252.6 Gm)
Eccentricity (e) 0.128[1]
Orbital period (P) 643.25 ± 0.90[1] d
(1.7611 y)
Argument of
periastron		 (ω) 22.0 ± 7.0[1]°
Time of periastron (T0) 2452365.6 ± 12.6[1] JD
Semi-amplitude (K) 37.78 ± 0.40 m/s
Physical characteristics
Minimum mass (m sin i) 1.676[1] MJ
(533 M⊕)
Discovery information
Discovery date December 12, 2000
Discoverer(s) Butler, Marcy
Detection method Doppler Spectroscopy
Discovery site California,  USA
Discovery status Published
Other designations
HD 160691 b
Database references
Extrasolar Planets
Encyclopaedia		 data
SIMBAD data

Mu Arae b (also referred to as HD 160691 b) is an extrasolar planet orbiting the star Mu Arae. At least one and a half times the mass of Jupiter, its orbital period is 643.25 days. This planet's discovery was announced on December 12, 2002 and was originally thought to be on a highly eccentric orbit.[2] The latest models of the system which incorporate four planets give a lower eccentricity orbit.[1] While the planet itself is likely to be a gas giant with no solid surface, the orbital distance of 1.497 astronomical units from the star puts it within the liquid water habitable zone of the system. As a result, large satellites of the planet, if they exist, could potentially support life. However it may not receive enough ultraviolet light for abiogenesis to proceed.[3] Furthermore it is not clear that Earth-size moons can actually form in the environment around a gas giant planet.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Pepe, F.; Correia, A. C. M.; Mayor, M.; Tamuz, O.; Couetdic, J.; Benz, W.; Bertaux, J.-L.; Bouchy, F.; Laskar, J.; Lovis, C.; Naef, D.; Queloz, D.; Santos, N. C.; Sivan, J.-P.; Sosnowska, D.; Udry, S. (2007). "The HARPS search for southern extra-solar planets. VIII. μ Arae, a system with four planets". Astronomy and Astrophysics 462 (2): 769–776. arXiv:astro-ph/0608396. Bibcode 2007A&A...462..769P. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20066194. 
  2. ^ Butler, R. Paul; Tinney, C. G.; Marcy, Geoffrey W.; Jones, Hugh R. A.; Penny, Alan J.; Apps, Kevin (2001). "Two New Planets from the Anglo-Australian Planet Search". The Astrophysical Journal 555 (1): 410–417. Bibcode 2001ApJ...555..410B. doi:10.1086/321467. 
  3. ^ Buccino, Andrea P.; Lemarchand, Guillermo A.; Mauas, Pablo J. D. (2006). "Ultraviolet Radiation Constraints around the Circumstellar Habitable Zones". Icarus 183 (2): 491–503. arXiv:astro-ph/0512291. Bibcode 2005astro.ph.12291B. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2006.03.007. 
  4. ^ Canup, R., Ward, W. (2006). "A common mass scaling for satellite systems of gaseous planets". Nature 441 (7095): 834–839. Bibcode 2006Natur.441..834C. doi:10.1038/nature04860. PMID 16778883. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v441/n7095/abs/nature04860.html. 
v · d · eThe Mu Arae System
Stars
Planets
Mu Arae c • Mu Arae d • Mu Arae b • Mu Arae e

Coordinates: Sky map 17h 44m 08.7s, −51° 50′ 03″


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