WASP-92 b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
WASP-92 b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star WASP-92, located approximately 1878.3 light-years (575.89 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2016 by SuperWASP using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 1.2534% across the stellar disk), this world measures 16.376 Earth radii (1.46 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 255.853 Earth masses (0.8 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 0.32 g/cm³ (a low bulk density dominated by an extended hydrogen-helium gaseous envelope), a surface gravity of 0.95 g⊕ (9.32 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 44.2 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around WASP-92, WASP-92 b completes one full revolution every 2.175 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.0348 AU (an ultra-close orbit less than one-seventh of Mercury's 0.387 AU distance from the Sun, where strong stellar tidal forces typically induce synchronous rotation). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 174.1 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). The orbit is modeled as circular (e = 0.00), maintaining a constant stellar distance throughout its year.
⚠️ Thermal Regime (Irradiated / Hot Zone): At an equilibrium temperature of 1871 K (+1598°C / +2908°F) and receiving 1,622.25 S⊕ (~2,207,886 W/m²), WASP-92 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.
The host star WASP-92 is classified as a warm F-type star of spectral type F7 with an effective photospheric temperature of 6,280 K, a radius of 1.341 R☉, a mass of 1.19 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 2.509 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 2.29 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0 dex (near-solar heavy-element abundance). From Earth, WASP-92 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 12.951 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Northern celestial hemisphere.
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: SuperWASP · Catalogue Source: NASA Exoplanet Archive (IPAC / Caltech).
☀️ Host Star Telemetry
| Host Star Name | WASP-92 |
| Spectral Type | F7 |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 6,280 K |
| Stellar Radius | 1.3410 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 1.1900 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 2.509 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | 0.000 dex |
| Stellar Age | 2.290 Gyr |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 12.951 · G: 12.818 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 1 Planet |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 0.034800 AU |
| Orbital Period | 2.175 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 174.1 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.00000 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | 83.7500° |
| Mean Bulk Density | 0.32 g/cm³ (44.2 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 1622.2528 S⊕ (~2,207,886 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 1878.300 LY (575.889 pc) |