XO-3b

XO-3b [1]
Size comparison of XO-3b with Jupiter.
Discovery[1][2]
Discovered byXO Project
Discovery siteXO telescope Maui, Hawaii
Discovery dateMay 30, 2007
Transit,
Radial velocity
Orbital characteristics
0.0454 ± 0.00082 AU (6,792,000 ± 123,000 km)[3]
Eccentricity0.2883 ± 0.0025[4]
3.1915289 ± 0.0000032[5] d
Inclination84.20 ± 0.54[3]
346.1+1.2
−1.1[4]
Semi-amplitude1494.0 ± 9.5[4]
StarXO-3
Physical characteristics
1.217 ± 0.073[3] RJ
Mass11.79 ± 0.59[3] MJ
Albedo0.106+0.008
−0.106[6]
Temperature1400-2000 K[6]

XO-3b is an exoplanet with about 11.79 times the mass of Jupiter, and it orbits its parent star XO-3 in about 3.2 days.[7] The radius of this object is 1.217 times that of Jupiter. Astronomers announced their discovery on May 30, 2007, at the American Astronomical Society in Honolulu, Hawaii. Its discovery is attributed to the combined effort of amateur and professional astronomers working together on the XO Project using a telescope located on the Haleakala summit in Hawaii.[2]

Dubbed an "oddball" planet, at the time of its discovery the planet was the most massive planet found in close proximity to a star, yet the orbit is significantly elliptical instead of circular, as would be expected.[2] It is also considered a transiting planet, passing in front of its parent star during each orbit. It is the third such planet to be found by the XO Project which was specifically created to locate them.[8]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Krull2008 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Rice was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference Winn2008 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Hirano2011 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Winn2009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b Dang, Lisa; Bell, Taylor J.; Cowan, Nicolas B.; Thorngren, Daniel; Kataria, Tiffany; Knutson, Heather A.; Lewis, Nikole K.; Stassun, Keivan G.; Fortney, Jonathan J.; Agol, Eric; Laughlin, Gregory P.; Burrows, Adam; Collins, Karen A.; Deming, Drake; Jovmir, Diana; Langton, Jonathan; Rastegar, Sara; Showman, Adam P. (2022), "Thermal Phase Curves of XO-3b: An Eccentric Hot Jupiter at the Deuterium Burning Limit", The Astronomical Journal, 163 (1): 32, arXiv:2111.03673, Bibcode:2022AJ....163...32D, doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ac365f, S2CID 243848020
  7. ^ Bryner, Jeanna (2007-05-30). "Oddball Planet Puzzles Astronomers". Space.com. Retrieved 2024-08-16.
  8. ^ "XO-3b: Supersized planet or oasis in the 'brown dwarf desert'?". EurekAlert!. Retrieved 2024-08-16.