 Size comparison of CoRoT-9b with Jupiter. | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Deeg et al. |
| Discovery site | CoRoT spacecraft |
| Discovery date | March 17, 2010 |
| Transit | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| 0.407 ± 0.005 AU (60,890,000 ± 750,000 km) | |
| Eccentricity | 0.11 ± 0.04 |
| 95.2738 ± 0.0014 d ~0.26084 y | |
| Inclination | > 89.9 |
| 37+9 −37 | |
| Star | CoRoT-9 |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 1.05 ± 0.04 RJ | |
| Mass | 0.84 ± 0.07 MJ |
Mean density | 0.96 ± 0.17 g/cm3 |
| 1.93 ± 0.33 g | |
| Temperature | 250–430 K (−23–157 °C; −10–314 °F) |
CoRoT-9b is an exoplanet orbiting the star CoRoT-9, approximately 1500 light years away in the constellation Serpens.[1] CoRoT-9b's distance of nearest approach to its parent star of approximately 0.36 AU was the largest of all known transiting planets at the time of its discovery, with an orbital period of 95 days. The transit of this planet lasts 8 hours. The planet is at a distance from its star where there is a strong increase in albedo as the temperature decreases, because of the condensation of reflective water clouds in the atmosphere. This suggests its atmosphere may be locked into one of two states: a cloudless state with temperatures between 380 K (107 °C; 224 °F) and 430 K (157 °C; 314 °F), or covered in water clouds with a temperature in the range 250 K (−23 °C; −10 °F) to 290 K (17 °C; 62 °F).[1]