WASP-44
| Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 |
|
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Right ascension | 00h 15m 36.769s[1] |
| Declination | –11° 56′ 17.30″[1] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 12.9[2] |
| Characteristics | |
| Spectral type | G8V[2] |
| Astrometry | |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: 16.2 ± 1.1[1] mas/yr Dec.: 32.1 ± 1.4[1] mas/yr |
| Details | |
| Mass | 0.917 ± 0.077[3] M☉ |
| Radius | 0.865 ± 0.025[3] R☉ |
| Surface gravity (log g) | 4.481 ± 0.034[4] cgs |
| Temperature | 5410 ± 150[2] K |
| Metallicity | 0.06 ± 0.1[2] |
| Age | 0.9 +1 −0.6[2] Gyr |
| Other designations | |
WASP-44 is a G-type star in constellation Cetus that has the Jupiter-size planet WASP-44b in orbit. The star is slightly less massive and slightly smaller than the Sun; it is also slightly cooler, but is more metal-rich. The star was observed by SuperWASP, an organization in search of planets, starting in 2009; manual follow-up observations used WASP-44's spectrum and measurements of its radial velocity led to the discovery of the transiting planet WASP-44b. The planet and its star were presented along with WASP-45b and WASP-46b on May 17, 2011 by a team of scientists testing the idea that Hot Jupiters tend to have circular orbits, an assumption that is made when the orbital eccentricity of such planets are not well-constrained.[4]
Observational history
WASP-44 was observed between July and November 2009 by the WASP-South, a station of the SuperWASP planet-searching program based at the South African Astronomical Observatory. Observations of the star revealed a periodic decrease in its brightness. WASP-South, along with the SuperWASP-North station at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on the Canary Islands, collected 15,755 photometric observations, allowing scientists to produce a more accurate light curve.[4] Another set of observations yielded a 6,000 point photometric data set, but the light curve was prepared late and was not considered in the discovery paper.[4]
In 2010, a European science team investigated the star using the CORALIE spectrograph and collected seventeen spectra of WASP-44. From the spectra, radial velocity measurements were extrapolated. Analysis of collected CORALIE data ruled out the possibility that the detected radial velocity was caused by the blended spectrum of a spectroscopic binary star, supporting the possibility that the body orbiting WASP-44 was indeed a planet, designated WASP-44b.[4]
The Leonhard Euler Telescope at La Silla Observatory in Chile was used to follow up on the discovery circling WASP-44, searching for a point at which the planet transited, or crossed in front of, its host star. One transit was detected.[4]
WASP-44, its recently discovered planet, the planets orbiting WASP-45 and WASP-46, and a discussion exploring the validity of the common assumption amongst scientists that closely orbiting Hot Jupiter planets have highly circular orbits unless proven otherwise, were reported in a single discovery paper that was published on May 17, 2011 by the Royal Astronomical Society.[4] The paper was submitted to the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society on May 16, 2011.[4]
Characteristics
WASP-44 is a G-type star (the same class of star as the Sun) that is located in the Cetus constellation. WASP-44 has a mass that is 0.951 times that of the Sun. In terms of size, WASP-44 has a radius that is 0.927 times that of the Sun. WASP-44 has an effective temperature of 5410 K, cooler than the Sun. However, the star is metal-rich with relation to the Sun. Its measured metallicity is [Fe/H] = 0.06, or 1.148 times that the amount of iron found in the Sun.[2] WASP-44's chromosphere (outermost layer) is not active. The star also does not rotate at a high velocity.[4]
The star has an apparent magnitude of 12.9. It cannot be seen from Earth with the naked eye.[2]
Planetary system
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There is one known planet in the orbit of WASP-44: WASP-44b. The planet is a Hot Jupiter[4] with a mass of 0.889 Jupiters. Its radius is 1.14 times that of Jupiter. WASP-44b orbits its host star every 2.4238039 days at a distance 0.03473 AU, approximately 3.47% the mean distance between the Earth and Sun.[2] With an orbital inclination of 86.02º, WASP-44b has an orbit that exists almost edge-on to its host star with respect to Earth.[2] WASPA-44b's orbital eccentricity is fit to 0.036, indicating a mostly circular orbit.[4]
| Companion (in order from star) |
Mass | Semimajor axis (AU) |
Orbital period (days) |
Eccentricity | Inclination | Radius |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| b | 0.889 MJ | 0.03473 | 2.4238039 | 0.036[4] | — | — |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.Vizier catalog entry
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
