Name: GJ-1214-b
Gliese 1214 b was discovered in data taken between June and August 2009. The discovery observations were made by the eight identical 40-cm telescopes that form the MEarth Project and follow up observations were taken with the F. L. Whipple Observatory (FLWO) 1.2-meter telescope. The discovery was announced on 16 December 2009.
The host star is a small star around 42 light years (13 parsecs) away from the Earth. It is red and is classified as an M-dwarf with an apparent magnitude of 14.71. Being so close to the Earth, it has a high proper motion on the sky.
The discovery observations, and later observations with the Hubble Space Telescope show that the planet is a "super-Earth"; it has 6.6 times the mass of Earth and a radius only 2.7 times that of Earth. By measuring the spectrum of the planet during a transit, it has been possible to determine that the atmosphere of the planet consists of a dense, steamy, water-based atmosphere.
There are 99 images to be analysed in this set
Information about Host Star | |
---|---|
Star: | gj1214b |
Constellation: | Ophiuchus |
Sky Coordinates: | 17:15:19 04:57:50 |
Apparent magnitude (mV): | 12.57 |