Xi Aquilae b
Extrasolar planet in the constellation Aquila
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Xi Aquilae b (abbreviated ξ Aquilae b, ξ Aql b), formally named Fortitudo /fɔːrtɪˈtjuːdoʊ/, is an extrasolar planet approximately 184 light-years from the Sun in the constellation of Aquila. The planet was discovered orbiting the yellow giant star Xi Aquilae in 2008. The planet has a minimum mass of 2.8 Jupiters and a period of 137 days.[1]
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Sato et al.[1] |
| Discovery site | Okayama Planet Search Program, Japan |
| Discovery date | 19 February 2008 |
| Radial velocity | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| 0.68 AU (102 million km) | |
| Eccentricity | 0 |
| 136.75 ± 0.25 d 0.37439 y | |
| 2,453,001.7 ± 1.4 | |
| Star | Xi Aquilae |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mass | ≥2.0 and <37.1[2] MJ |
Name
Following its discovery the planet was designated Xi Aquilae b. In July 2014 the International Astronomical Union (IAU) launched NameExoWorlds, a process for giving proper names to certain exoplanets and their host stars.[3] The process involved public nomination and voting for the new names.[4] In December 2015, the IAU announced the winning name was Fortitudo for this planet.[5]
The winning name was submitted by Libertyer, a student club at Hosei University of Tokyo, Japan. Fortitudo is Latin for 'fortitude'. Aquila is Latin for 'eagle', a symbol of fortitude—emotional and mental strength in the face of adversity.[6]
