WASP-46
Star in the constellation Indus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
WASP-46 is a G-type main-sequence star about 1,210 light-years (370 parsecs) away. The star is older than the Sun and is strongly depleted in heavy elements compared to the Sun, having just 45% of the solar abundance.[3] Despite its advanced age, the star is rotating rapidly, being spun up by the tides raised by a giant planet in a close orbit.[7]
| Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Indus[1] |
| Right ascension | 21h 14m 56.85987s[2] |
| Declination | −55° 52′ 18.4581″[2] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 12.9[3] |
| Characteristics | |
| Evolutionary stage | main sequence[2] |
| Spectral type | G6V[3] |
| Astrometry | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | −3.28±1.62[2] km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: +12.521 mas/yr[2] Dec.: −16.150 mas/yr[2] |
| Parallax (π) | 2.6878±0.0131 mas[2] |
| Distance | 1,213 ± 6 ly (372 ± 2 pc) |
| Details[4] | |
| Mass | 0.828±0.067 M☉ |
| Radius | 0.858±0.024 R☉ |
| Surface gravity (log g) | 4.489±0.013[5] cgs |
| Temperature | 5600±150 K |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | −0.37±0.13 dex |
| Rotation | 16.0±1.0 d |
| Rotational velocity (v sin i) | 1.9±1.2 km/s |
| Age | 9.6+3.4 −4.2 Gyr |
| Other designations | |
| TOI-101, TIC 231663901, WASP-46, GSC 08797-00758, 2MASS J21145687-5552184, DENIS J211456.8-555218[6] | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
| Exoplanet Archive | data |
The star displays excess ultraviolet emission associated with starspot activity,[8] and is suspected to be surrounded by a dust and debris disk.[9]
Planetary system
In 2011 a transiting hot superjovian planet, WASP-46b, was detected.[3] The planet's equilibrium temperature is 1,636±44 K.[5] The dayside temperature measured in 2014 is much higher at 2,386 K, indicating a very poor heat redistribution across the planet.[10] A re-measurement of the dayside planetary temperature in 2020 resulted in a lower value of 1,870+130
−120 K.[11]
In 2017, a search for transit-timing variations of WASP-46b yielded zero results, thus ruling out existence of additional gas giants in the system. The orbital decay of WASP-46b was also not detected.[12]
| Companion (in order from star) |
Mass | Semimajor axis (AU) |
Orbital period (days) |
Eccentricity | Inclination | Radius |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| b | 1.91±0.11 MJ | 0.02335±0.00063 | 1.43036763(93) | <0.022[4] | 82.80±0.17° | 1.174±0.033 RJ |