ExoPlanets Discovery and Characterisation
Learn about ExoPlanets Discovery and Characterisation. What are currently discovered Extrasolar Planets?
First Exoplanets discovery were annoused in 1992 and 1992 where they were found obiting the pulsars PSR B1257+12 and PSR B1620-26. In 1995, the first exoplanet found orbiting a main sequence star, 51 Pegasi b.
The masses of the exoplanets are lower bounded using radial velocity method with no information about the inclination of the planet's plane of orbit around its star that needed to calculate the mass of the exoplanet. As a result the masses of exoplanets measured using this method as minimum masses where the actual mass may be larger.
So far, there are 447 exoplanets confirmed. The more complete list is contains 473 exoplanets.
- Of these 447 planets, three exoplanets are located in circumbinary orbits:
- first is around a binary consisting of a pulsar and a white dwarf
- second orbits a binary consisting of a subdwarf B star and a red dwarf
- third circles a binary consisting of a white dwarf and a red dwarf.
- Other 444 planets each orbit one star only:
- Of these, 438 orbit normal stars (103 in multiple, and 335 in single planetary systems).
- Three planets orbit same pulsar,
- one orbits a subdwarf B star
- last two orbit each brown dwarfs.
As you can see from the Exoplanet table below most exoplanets are the mass of Jupiter range where current techonology is hindering the discovery of earthsize exoplanets which by shear size of the universe that number has to be in millions.
ExoPlanet Host Star |
Planet |
Mass |
Radius |
Orbital |
Discovery |
WASP-26 |
b |
1.02 |
1.32 |
2.7566 |
2010 |
WASP-1 |
b |
0.89 |
1.358 |
2.51997 |
2006 |
HAT-P-16 |
b |
4.193 |
1.289 |
2.77596 |
2010 |
Upsilon Andromedae |
b |
0.672 |
- |
4.617136 |
1996 |
Upsilon Andromedae |
d |
10.29 |
- |
1302.61 |
1999 |
WASP-18 |
b |
10.43 |
1.165 |
0.9414518 |
2009 |
HD 15082 |
WASP-33b |
<4.1 |
1.497 |
1.2198669 |
2010 |
HD 17156 |
b |
3.212 |
1.023 |
21.21688 |
2007 |
WASP-11/HAT-P-10 |
b |
0.460 |
1.045 |
3.7224690 |
2008 |
Epsilon Eridani |
b |
1.55 |
- |
2502 |
2000 |
WASP-22 |
b |
0.56 |
1.12 |
3.53269 |
2010 |
XO-3 |
b |
11.79 |
1.217 |
3.1915239 |
2007 |
HAT-P-15 |
b |
1.946 |
1.072 |
10.863502 |
2010 |
2M J044144 |
b |
7.5 |
- |
- |
2010 |
Beta Pictoris |
b |
8 |
- |
~6000 |
2008 |
WASP-12 |
b |
1.41 |
1.83 |
1.091435 |
2008 |
COROT-12 |
b |
0.917 |
1.44 |
2.828042 |
2010 |
COROT-7 |
b |
0.0151 |
0.150 |
0.853585 |
2009 |
COROT-7 |
c |
0.0264 |
- |
3.698 |
2009 |
COROT-5 |
b |
0.467 |
1.388 |
4.0378962 |
2008 |
COROT-1 |
b |
1.03 |
1.49 |
1.5089557 |
2007 |
COROT-4 |
b |
0.72 |
1.19 |
9.20205 |
2008 |
COROT-13 |
b |
1.308 |
0.885 |
4.03519 |
2010 |
COROT-14 |
b |
7.6 |
1.09 |
1.51214 |
2010 |
HAT-P-9 |
b |
0.78 |
1.4 |
3.92289 |
2008 |
XO-4 |
b |
1.72 |
1.34 |
4.12502 |
2008 |
XO-5 |
b |
1.077 |
1.089 |
4.1877539 |
2008 |
XO-2 |
b |
0.57 |
0.973 |
2.615838 |
2007 |
HAT-P-13 |
b |
0.851 |
1.28 |
2.91626 |
2009 |
55 Cancri |
d |
4.8 |
- |
5169 |
2002 |
WASP-13 |
b |
0.46 |
1.21 |
4.35298 |
2008 |
HD 80606 |
b |
3.94 |
1.029 |
111.43637 |
2001 |
WASP-19 |
b |
1.15 |
1.31 |
0.7888399 |
2009 |
OGLE-TR-211 |
b |
1.03 |
1.36 |
3.67724 |
2007 |
OGLE-TR-132 |
b |
1.14 |
1.18 |
1.689868 |
2003 |
OGLE-TR-113 |
b |
1.32 |
1.09 |
1.4324757 |
2004 |
OGLE-TR-111 |
b |
0.53 |
1.067 |
4.0144479 |
2002 |
OGLE2-TR-L9 |
b |
4.5 |
1.67 |
2.48553417 |
2008 |
OGLE-TR-182 |
b |
1.01 |
1.13 |
3.9791 |
2007 |
b |
0.072 |
0.438 |
2.643904 |
2004 |
|
2M1207 |
b |
4 |
1.5 |
620000 |
2004 |
PSR B1257+12 |
A |
0.000063 |
- |
25.262 |
1994 |
PSR B1257+12 |
B |
0.013 |
- |
66.5419 |
1992 |
PSR B1257+12 |
C |
0.012 |
- |
98.2114 |
1992 |
WASP-25 |
b |
0.58 |
1.26 |
3.76483 |
2010 |
HAT-P-3 |
b |
0.599 |
0.890 |
2.899703 |
2007 |
WASP-15 |
b |
0.542 |
1.428 |
3.7520656 |
2008 |
HAT-P-12 |
b |
0.211 |
0.959 |
3.2130598 |
2009 |
WASP-16 |
b |
0.855 |
1.008 |
3.1186009 |
2009 |
WASP-14 |
b |
7.725 |
1.259 |
2.2437704 |
2008 |
WASP-24 |
b |
1.032 |
1.104 |
2.3412083 |
2010 |
e |
0.006104 |
- |
3.14942 |
2009 |
|
b |
0.0492 |
- |
5.36874 |
2005 |
|
c |
0.01686 |
- |
12.9292 |
2007 |
|
d |
0.02231 |
- |
66.8 |
2007 |
|
HAT-P-4 |
b |
0.68 |
1.27 |
3.056536 |
2007 |
Lupus-TR-3 |
b |
0.81 |
0.89 |
3.91405 |
2007 |
WASP-17 |
b |
0.49 |
1.66 |
3.7354417 |
2009 |
XO-1 |
b |
0.9 |
1.3 |
3.941534 |
2006 |
1RXS J160929.1-210524 |
b |
8 |
1.7 |
|
2008 |
HD 147506 |
HAT-P-2b |
9.09 |
1.157 |
5.6334729 |
2007 |
PSR B1620-26 |
PSR B1620-26b |
2.5 |
~0.8 |
~36500 |
1993 |
HD 149026 |
b |
0.359 |
0.654 |
2.8758887 |
2005 |
GJ 1214 |
b |
0.0179 |
0.2415 |
1.5803925 |
2009 |
HAT-P-14 |
b |
2.232 |
1.15 |
4.6267669 |
2010 |
OGLE-2005-BLG-071L |
b |
3.5 |
- |
3600 |
2005 |
OGLE-TR-10 |
b |
0.63 |
1.26 |
3.10129 |
2002 |
GSC 03089-00929 |
TrES-3 |
1.92 |
1.295 |
1.30619 |
2007 |
OGLE-2006-BLG-109L |
b |
0.727 |
- |
1790 |
2008 |
rOGLE-2006-BLG-109L |
c |
0.271 |
- |
4931 |
2008 |
GSC 02620-00648 |
TrES-4 |
0.919 |
1.799 |
3.553945 |
2006 |
MOA-2008-BLG-310L |
b |
0.23 |
- |
- |
2009 |
OGLE-2005-BLG-390L |
b |
0.018 |
- |
4800 |
2006 |
OGLE-2007-BLG-368L |
b |
0.0694 |
- |
- |
2009 |
OGLE-TR-56 |
b |
1.29 |
1.30 |
1.211909 |
2003 |
SWEEPS J175853.92−291120.6 |
SWEEPS-04 |
3.8 |
0.81 |
4.2 |
2006 |
SWEEPS J175902.67−291153.5 |
SWEEPS-11 |
9.7 |
1.13 |
1.796 |
2006 |
OGLE-2003-BLG-235L |
b |
2.6 |
- |
- |
2004 |
OGLE-2005-BLG-169L |
b |
0.041 |
- |
3100 |
2006 |
MOA-2007-BLG-192L |
b |
0.01 |
- |
- |
2008 |
MOA-2007-BLG-400L |
b |
0.9 |
- |
- |
2008 |
HAT-P-5 |
b |
1.06 |
1.26 |
2.788491 |
2007 |
WASP-3 |
b |
1.76 |
1.31 |
1.846834 |
2007 |
COROT-11 |
b |
2.33 |
1.43 |
2.99433 |
2010 |
COROT-9 |
b |
0.84 |
1.05 |
95.2738 |
2010 |
COROT-6 |
b |
2.96 |
1.166 |
8.887 |
2009 |
Kepler-8 |
b |
0.603 |
1.419 |
3.52254 |
2010 |
Kepler-4 |
b |
0.077 |
0.357 |
3.21346 |
2010 |
GSC 02652-01324 |
TrES-1 |
0.61 |
1.081 |
3.030065 |
2004 |
GSC 03549-02811 |
TrES-2 |
1.199 |
1.272 |
2.47063 |
2006 |
Kepler-7 |
b |
0.433 |
1.478 |
4.885525 |
2010 |
COROT-10 |
b |
2.75 |
0.97 |
13.2406 |
2010 |
COROT-8 |
b |
0.22 |
0.57 |
6.21229 |
2010 |
COROT-2 |
b |
3.31 |
1.465 |
1.7429964 |
2007 |
HAT-P-7 |
b |
1.8 |
1.421 |
2.2047298 |
2008 |
Kepler-6 |
b |
0.669 |
1.323 |
3.23423 |
2010 |
HAT-P-11 |
b |
0.081 |
0.422 |
4.8878162 |
2009 |
Kepler-5 |
b |
2.114 |
1.431 |
3.54846 |
2010 |
HD 189733 |
b |
1.13 |
1.138 |
2.2185733 |
2005 |
WASP-2 |
b |
0.914 |
1.117 |
2.152226 |
2006 |
WASP-7 |
b |
0.96 |
0.915 |
4.954658 |
2008 |
HD 209458 |
b |
0.685 |
1.32 |
3.52474859 |
1999 |
HAT-P-8 |
b |
1.52 |
1.5 |
3.07632 |
2008 |
Gliese 876 |
d |
0.021 |
- |
1.93778 |
2005 |
Gliese 876 |
c |
0.7142 |
- |
30.0881 |
2001 |
Gliese 876 |
b |
2.2756 |
- |
61.1166 |
1998 |
Gliese 876 |
e |
0.046 |
- |
124.26 |
2010 |
b |
0.054–3.0 |
- |
~320000 |
2008 |
|
ADS 16402 B |
HAT-P-1b |
0.524 |
1.225 |
4.4652934 |
2006 |
HR 8799 |
d |
10 |
1.2 |
~36500 |
2008 |
HR 8799 |
c |
10 |
1.2 |
~69000 |
2008 |
HR 8799 |
b |
7 |
1.1 |
~170000 |
2008 |
WASP-21 |
b |
0.30 |
1.07 |
4.322482 |
2010 |
WASP-6 |
b |
0.503 |
1.224 |
3.361006 |
2008 |
WASP-10 |
b |
3.06 |
1.08 |
3.0927616 |
2008 |
WASP-4 |
b |
1.237 |
1.365 |
1.3382282 |
2007 |
WASP-28 |
b |
0.91 |
1.12 |
3.408821 |
2010 |
HAT-P-6 |
b |
1.057 |
1.33 |
3.852985 |
2007 |
WASP-29 |
b |
0.248 |
0.74 |
3.923 |
2010 |
WASP-5 |
b |
1.637 |
1.171 |
1.6284246 |
2007 |
WASP-8 |
b |
2.23 |
1.17 |
8.16 |
2008 |
The planets are listed with indications of their approximate masses as multiples of Jupiter's mass (MJ = 1.8986 × 1027 kg) or multiples of Earth's mass (ME = 5.9736 × 1024 kg), and have approximate distances in astronomical units (1 AU = 1.496 × 108 km, distance between Earth and Sun) from their parent stars.
At the moment, according to the International Astronomical Union, there is neither any agreed-upon system for exoplanet discovery and characterisation of exoplanets orbiting stars other than the Sun. However,the current trend in exoplanet characterisation that is gaining prominence is to uses a lower-case letter (starting with "b") to extend a star's designation. For example, 16 Cygni Bb is the first extoplanet found around the star 16 Cygni B, itself a member of the triple star system 16 Cygni.
To be considered as a exoplanet the upper limit of exoplanet mass is 13 MJ where above that mass an object is considered a brown dwarf no matter how it formed or where it is located. However, there are 20 confirmed objects listed in the Exoplanet Encyclopaedia that range from 13 to 25 MJ. If Exoplanet Encylopedia excludes those massive objects, there would be 453 exoplanets listed.
The true mass of the exoplanet estimated only 121 extrasolar planets. There are currently 100 known planets in single planetary systems. There is also 2 8-multiple planetary systems (3 with two planets, 2 with three, 2 with four, and 1 with five) .
The majority of these exoplanets transit their host stars which enables in determining their inclination of their orbits and therefore the true ratio of the masses of the exoplanet to their parent star. With a accurate calculation of the parent star's parallax and some independent means of measuring the star's mass, an absolute value of the exoplanet's mass can be calculated.
Currently majority of exoplanet discovery and characterisation is limited to 300 light years distance from earth due to the limitation of existing technologies.
Learn more Extrasolar Planets by topics below.
Drakes equation
