WASP-107b

WASP-107b is a super-Neptune exoplanet that orbits the star WASP-107. It lies 200 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Virgo.[3] Its discovery was announced in 2017 and led by D. R. Anderson and a team of colleagues via the WASP-South.[4]

WASP-107b
Artist's impression of exoplanet WASP-107b.[1]
Discovery
Discovered byD. R. Anderson et al.
Discovery date2017
WASP-South
Orbital characteristics
0.055 AU (8,200,000 km)[2]
Eccentricity0[2]
5.72149[2] d
StarWASP-107
Physical characteristics
Mean radius
0.94[2] RJ
Mass0.12[2] MJ

    Helium was discovered in the planet's atmosphere in 2018, making it the first time helium was discovered on an exoplanet.[5] A follow-up observation with Keck in 2020 showed that the helium absorption extends beyond transit-egress.[6][7]

    Characteristics

    WASP-107b is a super-Neptune gas-giant exoplanet located 200 light years away from Earth in the constellation Virgo.[3] It is roughly the size of Jupiter but only one-eighth of Jupiter's mass, making it one of the lowest density exoplanets.[3] Its radius is 0.94 times Jupiter's, making its atmosphere fluffy, and coupled with transiting a moderately bright K star makes it a target for atmosphere characterization.[8] It is eight times nearer its star than Mercury is to the Sun and orbits its star every 5.7 days.[3] With a temperature of 932 °F (500 °C), its atmosphere makes it one of the hottest known exoplanets.[3] Observations of the helium absorption line have shown that the atmosphere of the planet is boiling off the surface, under the fierce irradiation of the star, and is forming a comet-like tail.[6][7]

    References
    1. heic1809 (2 May 2018). "Hubble detects helium in the atmosphere of an exoplanet for the first time". www.spacetelescope.org. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
    2. "Planet WASP-107 b". Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia. 2017.
    3. Reed, Nola (2 May 2018). "An Exoplanet First! Helium Spotted on Bizarre Comet-Like World". Space.com.
    4. https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/pdf/2017/08/aa30439-17.pdf
    5. Witze, Alexandra (2 May 2018). "Astronomers spot helium on exoplanet for first time". Nature.
    6. waspplanets (2020-01-22). "Helium reveals the extended atmosphere of WASP-107b". WASP Planets. Retrieved 2020-01-22.
    7. Kirk, James; Alam, Munazza K.; Lopez-Morales, Mercedes; Zeng, Li (2020-01-21). "Confirmation of WASP-107b's extended Helium atmosphere with Keck II/NIRSPEC". The Astronomical Journal. 159 (3): 115. arXiv:2001.07667. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ab6e66.
    8. "First results on the atmosphere of WASP-107b". Wide Angle Search for Planets. September 27, 2017.


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