Gamma1 Leonis b

Last updated
Gamma1 Leonis b
Discovery
Discovered by Inwoo Han et al. [1]
Discovery site South Korea
Discovery dateNovember 6, 2009
Radial velocity
Orbital characteristics
Apastron 1.36 AU (203,000,000 km)
Periastron 1.02 AU (153,000,000 km)
1.19 AU (178,000,000 km) [1]
Eccentricity 0.14 [1]
429 [1] d
1.17 y
Average orbital speed
30.3
Star Gamma1 Leonis (Algieba A)
Physical characteristics
Mass >10.7 [2] MJ

    Gamma1 Leonis b is an extrasolar planet located 125.5 light years away in the constellation Leo, orbiting the giant star Gamma1 Leonis. [1]

    Contents

    Discovery

    On November 6, 2009, a planetary companion around primary star Gamma1 Leonis has been announced. [1] Moreover, radial velocity variations would also hint two strong signals at 8.5 and 1340 days. The former periodicity is likely due to stellar pulsation, whereas the latter could be indicative of the presence of an additional planetary companion with 2.14 Jupiter masses, moderate eccentricity (e=0.13) and located at 2.6 Astronomical Units away from the giant star. Nevertheless, the nature of such a signal is still unclear and further investigations are needed to confirm or rule out an additional substellar companion.

    Characteristics

    The planet has a minimum mass of 10.7 Jupiter masses. The true mass, as with the majority of other extrasolar planets discovered by the radial velocity method, is unknown. [3] Depending on the planet's inclination relative to Earth, it may be sufficiently massive to be classified as a brown dwarf. [2]

    Host star

    Gamma Leonis A is the main star of a binary star system in the constellation Leo (the lion). It is a K-type red giant of apparent magnitude 2.37, with around 26 times the size of the Sun and 250 times its luminosity. The secondary component is a fainter G-type giant of apparent magnitude 3.64, eleven times bigger than the Sun with 63 times its luminosity. [2] Together, they shine with apparent magnitude 2.04, making it the second-brightest star in Leo after Regulus. This system shares the traditional name Algieba.

    The Algieba system can be easily splitted by a telescope. Due to the large orbital separation between the stars, only a small fraction of the orbit has been observed since discovery, and the orbital parameters are still poorly known. [2]

    Related Research Articles

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Aquarius (constellation)</span> Zodiac constellation straddling the celestial equator

    Aquarius is an equatorial constellation of the zodiac, between Capricornus and Pisces. Its name is Latin for "water-carrier" or "cup-carrier", and its old astronomical symbol is (♒︎), a representation of water. Aquarius is one of the oldest of the recognized constellations along the zodiac. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations. It is found in a region often called the Sea due to its profusion of constellations with watery associations such as Cetus the whale, Pisces the fish, and Eridanus the river.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Gamma Leonis</span> Binary star in the constellation Leo

    Gamma Leonis, also named Algieba, is a binary star system in the constellation of Leo, made up of two red giants. In 2009, a planetary companion around the primary was announced.

    Mu Leonis, also named Rasalas, is a star in the constellation of Leo. The apparent visual magnitude of this star is 3.88, which is bright enough to be seen with the naked eye. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 0.02628 arc seconds as measured by the Hipparcos satellite, this system is 124 light-years from the Sun. In 2014, an exoplanet was discovered to be orbiting the star.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Gamma Delphini</span> Star in the constellation Delphinus

    Gamma Delphini, which is Latinized from γ Delphini, is a wide binary star system in the northern constellation of Delphinus. The star marks one corner of the asterism "Job's Coffin". The pair can be split with a modest amateur telescope and have been described as "one of the prettier pairs in the sky", with their contrasting colors said to be orange and lime in appearance. Together, the system is visible to the naked eye with a combined apparent visual magnitude of 3.87.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Theta Cygni</span> Star in the constellation Cygnus

    Theta Cygni is a star in the northern constellation of Cygnus. It has an apparent visual magnitude of 4.5, so it can be seen with the naked eye in sufficiently dark skies. Based upon parallax measurements, it is at a distance of about 59.8 light-years from the Earth. It is suspected of hosting an extrasolar planet.

    Gliese 849, or GJ 849, is a small, solitary star in the equatorial constellation of Aquarius. It has a reddish hue and is invisible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 10.41. The distance to this star is 28.8 light-years based on parallax, but it is drifting closer to the Sun with a radial velocity of −15.3 km/s. It has a pair of confirmed gas giant companions.

    HD 66428 is a G-type main sequence star located approximately 174 light-years away in the constellation of Monoceros. This star is similar to the Sun with an apparent magnitude of 8.25, an effective temperature of 5705 ± 27 K and a solar luminosity 1.28. Its absolute magnitude is 11.1 while its U-V color index is 0.71. It is considered an inactive star and it is metal-rich . This star has a precise mass of 1.14552 solar masses. This precision comes from the Corot mission that measured asteroseismology.

    HD 11964 is a binary star system located 110 light-years away from the Sun in the equatorial constellation of Cetus. It is visible in binoculars or a telescope but is too faint to be seen with the naked eye, having an apparent visual magnitude of 7.51. The system is drifting closer to the Sun with a radial velocity of −9 km/s. Two extrasolar planets have been confirmed to orbit the primary.

    HD 154345 is a star in the northern constellation of Hercules. With an apparent visual magnitude of +6.76 it is a challenge to view with the naked eye, but using binoculars it is an easy target. The distance to this star is 59.6 light years based on parallax, but it is drifting closer with a radial velocity of −47 km/s. At least one exoplanet is orbiting this star.

    HD 59686 is a binary star system in the northern constellation of Gemini. It is visible to the naked eye as a dim point of light with an apparent visual magnitude of +5.45. The distance to this system is approximately 292 light years based on parallax, but it is drifting closer with a radial velocity of −34 km/s.

    HD 50499 is a star in the constellation of constellation of Puppis. With an apparent visual magnitude of 7.21, this star is too faint to be in naked eye visibility. It is located at a distance of 151 light years from the Sun based on parallax, and is drifting further away with a radial velocity of +36.7 km/s.

    HD 156846 is a binary star system in the equatorial constellation of Ophiuchus, positioned a degree SSE of Messier 9. It has a yellow hue and is just barely bright enough to be visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 6.5. The system is located at a distance of 156 light years from the Sun based on parallax. It is drifting closer with a radial velocity of −68.5 km/s, and is predicted to come to within 85.0 light-years in about 476,000 years.

    HD 109749 is a binary star system about 206 light years away in the constellation of Centaurus. The pair have a combined apparent visual magnitude of 8.08, which is too faint to be visible to the naked eye. The primary component has a close orbiting exoplanet companion. The system is drifting closer with a heliocentric radial velocity of −13.2 km/s.

    HD 142022 is a binary star system located in the southernmost constellation of Octans. It is too faint to be visible to the naked eye, having an apparent visual magnitude of 7.70. The distance to this system is 112 light-years based on parallax, but it is drifting closer to the Sun with a radial velocity of −10 km/s.

    HD 190228 is a star with an orbiting substellar companion in the northern constellation of Vulpecula. Its apparent magnitude is 7.30 – too faint to be seen with the naked eye – and the absolute magnitude is 3.34. Based on parallax measurements, it is located at a distance of 205 light-years from the Sun. The system is drifting closer with a radial velocity of −50 km/s.

    HD 213240 is a possible binary star system in the constellation Grus. It has an apparent visual magnitude of 6.81, which lies below the limit of visibility for normal human sight. The system is located at a distance of 133.5 light years from the Sun based on parallax. The primary has an absolute magnitude of 3.77.

    Aldebaran b is a candidate exoplanet orbiting the orange giant star Aldebaran, 65 light-years away. It was initially detected in 1993, but was considered doubtful until 2015, when researchers came to a conclusion that there is likely an exoplanet orbiting Aldebaran, consistent with the original calculations, but also compatible with stellar activity. However, in 2019, new data placed doubts on its existence again.

    HD 28254 is a binary star system located 180 light-years away in the constellation Dorado. The primary component is an 8th magnitude G-type main-sequence star. This star is larger, cooler, brighter, and more massive than the Sun, and its metal content is 2.3 times as much as the Sun. In 2009, a gas giant exoplanet was found in orbit around the star.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">DP Leonis</span> Star system in the constellation Leo

    DP Leonis is a binary star system in the equatorial constellation of Leo. It is a variable star that ranges in apparent visual magnitude from 17.5 down to 19. The system is located at a distance of approximately 990 light-years from the Sun based on parallax. It is a cataclysmic variable star of the AM Herculis-type also known as polars. The system comprises an eclipsing white dwarf and red dwarf in tight orbit and an extrasolar planet. This eclipsing variable was discovered by P. Biermann and associates in 1982 as the optical counterpart to the EINSTEIN X-ray source E1114+182.

    HD 27631 is a star with an orbiting exoplanet in the southern constellation of Horologium. It is too faint to be visible to the naked eye, having an apparent visual magnitude of 8.24. The distance to this system is 164 light years based on parallax measurements. It is drifting further away with a radial velocity of 21 km/s.

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Han, Inwoo; Lee, B. C.; Kim, K. M.; Mkrtichian, D. E.; Hatzes, A. P.; Valyavin, G. (2010). "Detection of a Planetary Companion around the giant star γ1 Leonis". Astronomy and Astrophysics . 509: A24. arXiv: 0911.0968 . Bibcode:2010A&A...509A..24H. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/200912536. S2CID   118962986.
    2. 1 2 3 4 Takeda, Yoichi (July 2023). "Spectroscopic comparative study of the red giant binary system gamma Leonis A and B". Astrophysics and Space Science. 368 (7): 56. arXiv: 2306.16723 . Bibcode:2023Ap&SS.368...56T. doi:10.1007/s10509-023-04214-1. ISSN   0004-640X.
    3. "The Extrasolar Planet Encyclopaedia — Gamma1 Leonis b". Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia . Retrieved 10 September 2023.