WASP-41 c
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
WASP-41 c is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star WASP-41, located approximately 532.8 light-years (163.37 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2015 by La Silla Observatory using the Radial Velocity detection technique (measuring periodic Doppler reflex motion in the host star's spectrum), this world measures 13.1 Earth radii (1.17 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 1010.699 Earth masses (3.18 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 2.48 g/cm³ (an intermediate density indicative of a deep water-ice mantle or dense volatile envelope), a surface gravity of 5.89 g⊕ (57.76 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 98.3 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around WASP-41, WASP-41 c completes one full revolution every 421 Earth days (1.15Julian years) at a semi-major axis of 1.07 AU (comparable to the inner terrestrial zone between Venus, Earth at 1.00 AU, and Mars at 1.52 AU). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 27.6 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). The planet follows a highly eccentric trajectory (e = 0.294, swinging from 0.7554 AU at periapsis out to 1.3846 AU at apoapsis), pointing to past dynamical scattering or secular gravitational perturbations.
☁️ Atmospheric Regime (Volatile / Gas Envelope): With a radius of 13.100 R⊕, WASP-41 c exceeds the empirical ~1.8–2.2 R⊕ Fulton radius valley threshold, indicating a substantial hydrogen-helium or supercritical volatile envelope without a conventional solid terrestrial surface.
The host star WASP-41 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 5,545 K, a radius of 0.87 R☉, a mass of 0.93 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 0.642 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 1.2 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.06 dex (metal-rich relative to the Sun). From Earth, WASP-41 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 11.632 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Southern celestial hemisphere. The WASP-41 system is a multi-planet architecture hosting 2 confirmed worlds, with WASP-41 c sharing its stellar neighborhood alongside WASP-41 b.
Methodology: Computed using the Schulze-Makuch et al. (2011) weighted metric comparing physical interior (radius, estimated density) and surface thermal regime (escape velocity, equilibrium temperature).
Discovery Facility: La Silla Observatory · Catalogue Source: NASA Exoplanet Archive (IPAC / Caltech).
☀️ Host Star Telemetry
| Host Star Name | WASP-41 |
| Spectral Type | Unclassified |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 5,545 K |
| Stellar Radius | 0.8700 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 0.9300 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 0.642 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | 0.060 dex |
| Stellar Age | 1.200 Gyr |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 11.632 · G: 11.282 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 2 Planets |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 1.070000 AU |
| Orbital Period | 421 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 27.6 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.29400 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | — |
| Mean Bulk Density | 2.48 g/cm³ (98.3 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 0.5573 S⊕ (~758 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 532.800 LY (163.371 pc) |