WASP-3
Encyclopedia
WASP-3 is a magnitude
10 yellow-white dwarf
star
located about 727 light-years away in the Lyra constellation
.
WASP-3b
was detected by the SuperWASP
project in 2007.
The William Herschel Telescope
had confirmed it was a planet by 2008.
In 2010, the possible presence of a second planet orbiting WASP-3 was inferred from timing variations in the transits of WASP-3b
. The discovers note that additional observations are required to confirm the presence of this planet candidate, designated WASP-3c. The best-fit parameters for WASP-3c which match the observe timing variations suggest it is close to the outer 2:1 resonance
with WASP-3b, with an orbital period of 3.72–3.78 days and a mass 15 times that of the Earth (close to the mass of Uranus
). Alternative sets of parameters are possible, though they give a poorer fit to the data: a 6–10 Earth mass planet in an orbit of 3.03–3.05 days (close to the 5:3 resonance), or a 10 Earth mass planet with a period of 3.58–3.64 days (close to the 2:1 resonance) also reproduce the observed timing variations.
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Apparent magnitude
The apparent magnitude of a celestial body is a measure of its brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, adjusted to the value it would have in the absence of the atmosphere...
10 yellow-white dwarf
Yellow-white dwarf
An F-type main-sequence star is a main-sequence, hydrogen-fusing star of spectral type F and luminosity class V. These stars have from 1.0 to 1.4 times the mass of the Sun and surface temperatures between 6,000 and 7,600 K., Tables VII and VIII. This temperature range gives the F-type stars a...
star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
located about 727 light-years away in the Lyra constellation
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
.
Planetary system
The extrasolar planetExtrasolar planet
An extrasolar planet, or exoplanet, is a planet outside the Solar System. A total of such planets have been identified as of . It is now known that a substantial fraction of stars have planets, including perhaps half of all Sun-like stars...
WASP-3b
WASP-3b
WASP-3b is an extrasolar planet orbiting the star WASP-3 located over 727 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...
was detected by the SuperWASP
SuperWASP
SuperWASP is an international academic organisation performing an ultra-wide angle search for transiting extrasolar planets with the aim of covering the entire sky down to ~15th magnitude.-Equipment:...
project in 2007.
The William Herschel Telescope
William Herschel Telescope
The William Herschel Telescope is a optical/near-infrared reflecting telescope located at the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands, Spain. The telescope, which is named after William Herschel, is part of the Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes...
had confirmed it was a planet by 2008.
In 2010, the possible presence of a second planet orbiting WASP-3 was inferred from timing variations in the transits of WASP-3b
WASP-3b
WASP-3b is an extrasolar planet orbiting the star WASP-3 located over 727 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...
. The discovers note that additional observations are required to confirm the presence of this planet candidate, designated WASP-3c. The best-fit parameters for WASP-3c which match the observe timing variations suggest it is close to the outer 2:1 resonance
Orbital resonance
In celestial mechanics, an orbital resonance occurs when two orbiting bodies exert a regular, periodic gravitational influence on each other, usually due to their orbital periods being related by a ratio of two small integers. Orbital resonances greatly enhance the mutual gravitational influence of...
with WASP-3b, with an orbital period of 3.72–3.78 days and a mass 15 times that of the Earth (close to the mass of Uranus
Uranus
Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. It has the third-largest planetary radius and fourth-largest planetary mass in the Solar System. It is named after the ancient Greek deity of the sky Uranus , the father of Cronus and grandfather of Zeus...
). Alternative sets of parameters are possible, though they give a poorer fit to the data: a 6–10 Earth mass planet in an orbit of 3.03–3.05 days (close to the 5:3 resonance), or a 10 Earth mass planet with a period of 3.58–3.64 days (close to the 2:1 resonance) also reproduce the observed timing variations.
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