Extrasolar Visions - iota Draconis b

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Clarified Jovian, Eccentric

Object Type:

Clarified Jovian, Eccentric

Parent Star:

iota Draconis (K2 III)

Discovery Status:

Confirmed

Current Planet

Habitability Zone

Mass ( M sin i ):

8.64 Jupiters

Periastron Distance:

0.38 AU

Mean Distance:

1.34 AU

Apastron Distance:

2.29 AU

Orbital Period:

550.651 Days

Eccentricity:

0.71

Argument of Perihelion (omega):

94 °

Radial Velocity of Star:

296.48 m/s

Planet Appearance:

Blue and cloudless

Estimated Radius:

1.014 Jupiters ¹

Estimated Periastron Temp:

1128 Kelvin

Estimated Mean Temp:

607 Kelvin

Estimated Apastron Temp:

464 Kelvin

Temp from
Internal Heating :

262.054 Kelvins ²

Max Angular Star Size:

15.412°

Mean Angular Star Size:

4.37°

Min Angular Star Size:

2.557°

Gravitational Influence
(Hill Sphere):

0.184 AU / 27620000 km

Max Stable Prograde Moon Orbit:

0.066 AU / 9940000 km

Max Moon Mass:

> 10 Earths ³^,⁴

Tidally locked if older than:

> 20 Gyr ⁵

Estimated Bond Albedo:

~ 0.05 ⁶

Notes:
    ¹ from planet formation models of Burrows et al
    ² from planet formation models of Burrows et al
    ³ assuming age of 5 Gyr
    ⁴ based on periastron due to high eccentricity
    ⁵ orbit may be too eccentric for 1:1 tidal lock
    ⁶ from Sudarsky et al. 2000

Year Discovered:

2002

Detection Method:

Doppler Spectroscopy

Discovered By:

S. Frink et al.

Click image below to enlarge

iota Draconis b is the first object of planetary size detected around a red giant star. Its discovery shows that planets can survive the transition of their stars from main sequence to giant. It also sheds light into the fate of our own solar system when, 5 to 10 billion years from now, our own sun will run out of its supply of hydrogen fuel and become a red giant itself.

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View the Night Sky from iota Draconis b...
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	Southern Hemisphere (750 x 750 pixels)