 An artist's impression of 51 Pegasi b (center) and its star (right). | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz |
| Discovery site | OHP, France |
| Discovery date | 6 October 1995 |
| Radial velocity (ELODIE) | |
| Designations | |
| Dimidium | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Aphelion | 0.0534 AU (7,990,000 km) |
| Perihelion | 0.0520 AU (7,780,000 km) |
| 0.0527 ± 0.0030 AU (7,880,000 ± 450,000 km) | |
| Eccentricity | 0.013 ± 0.012 |
| 4.230785 ± 0.000036 d 101.5388 h | |
Average orbital speed | 136 km/s |
| Star | 51 Pegasi |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 1.9±0.3 RJ[1] | |
| Mass | ≥0.472 ± 0.039 MJ |
| Temperature | 1284 ± 19 K |
51 Pegasi b, officially named Dimidium /dɪˈmɪdiəm/, is an extrasolar planet approximately 50 light-years (15 parsecs) away in the constellation of Pegasus. It was the first exoplanet to be discovered orbiting a main-sequence star,[2] the Sun-like 51 Pegasi, and marked a breakthrough in astronomical research. It is the prototype for a class of planets called hot Jupiters.[3]
In 2017, traces of water were discovered in the planet's atmosphere.[4] In 2019, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded in part for the discovery of 51 Pegasi b.[5]
- ^ Martins, J. H. C.; Santos, N. C.; Figueira, P.; Faria, J. P.; Montalto, M.; Boisse, I.; Ehrenreich, D.; Lovis, C.; Mayor, M.; Melo, C.; Pepe, F.; Sousa, S. G.; Udry, S.; Cunha, D. (2015-04-01). "Evidence for a spectroscopic direct detection of reflected light from 51 Pegasi b". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 576: A134. arXiv:1504.05962. Bibcode:2015A&A...576A.134M. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201425298. ISSN 0004-6361.
- ^ How the Universe Works 3. Vol. Jupiter: Destroyer or Savior?. Discovery Channel. 2014.
- ^ Wenz, John (10 October 2019). "Lessons from scorching hot weirdo-planets". Knowable Magazine. Annual Reviews. doi:10.1146/knowable-101019-2. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
- ^ "Water detected in the atmosphere of hot Jupiter exoplanet 51 Pegasi b". phys.org. February 1, 2017.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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