List of exomoon candidates

Last updated

As of February 2025, there have been no positive confirmations of satellites of extra-solar planets (exomoons); however, some evidence in favour of their existence has been produced.

Contents

Timeline

Table

Host star
of the
host planet(s)
Planet designationPlanet massPlanet
semimajor
axis (AU)
Exomoon
semimajor
axis
Exomoon
mass (ME)
Notes
N/A J1407b <6 MJ [2] N/A0.396–0.421 AU<0.8One possible exomoon residing in a 4 million km-wide gap in J1407b's circumplanetary disk. [22] Other ring gaps in J1407b's disk may also contain exomoons.
Beta Pictoris Beta Pictoris b 9.3+2.6
2.5
MJ
10.260.03 to 0.05 AU≳15Found via the predicted misaligment of the planet's obliquity, which is yet to be confirmed by JWST observations but is currently likely. [23]
N/A 2MASS J1119-1137A or B 3.7 MJ 3.6 ± 0.9
separation from each other
0.004 - 0.009 AU0.5 - 1Found using the transit method. A habitable-zone exomoon candidate transiting a directly imaged free-floating planet or isolated planetary-mass object. [14]
N/A 2MASS J2117-2940 7 MJ N/A0.005 AU~0.5Candidate exomoon transit detected in Spitzer observations of 2MASS J21171431-2940034. [24]
DH Tauri DH Tauri b 10.6 MJ 33010 AU318Candidate Jupiter-mass satellite from direct imaging. If confirmed, it could also be considered a planet orbiting a brown dwarf. [25]
HD 189733 HD 189733 b 1.13 MJ 0.0310.0087 AU ?Found by studying periodic increases and decreases in light given off from HD 189733 b. Outside of planet's Hill sphere. [26]
<0.00112 AU~ 0.015Exo-Io candidate; [27] The sodium and potassium data [28] [29] at HD 189733b is consistent with evaporating exomoons and/or their corresponding gas torus. [30]
Kepler-409 Kepler-409b 1.00 ME 0.3200.222 R Hill 0.300Possible exomoon from transit timing variations, [12] since deemed unlikely. [13]
Kepler-517 Kepler-517b 7.59 ME 0.2980.278 R Hill 0.499Possible exomoon from transit timing variations, [12] since deemed unlikely. [13]
Kepler-809 Kepler-809b 38.02 ME 0.3080.289 R Hill 2.931Possible exomoon from transit timing variations. [12]
Kepler-857 Kepler-857b 14.13 ME 0.3760.208 R Hill 1.636Possible exomoon from transit timing variations. [12]
Kepler-1000 Kepler-1000b 19.95 ME 0.5340.235 R Hill 1.551Possible exomoon from transit timing variations, [12] since deemed unlikely. [13]
Kepler-1326 Kepler-1326b 24.55 ME 0.26910.295 R Hill 6.057Possible exomoon from transit timing variations, [12] since deemed unlikely. [13]
Kepler-1442 Kepler-1442b 14.13 ME 0.4050.208 R Hill 1.586Possible exomoon from transit timing variations, [12] since deemed unlikely. [13]
Kepler-1625 Kepler-1625b <11.6 MJ [31] 0.980.022 AU19.0Possible Neptune-sized exomoon or double planet, indicated by transit observations. [32] [9]
Kepler-1708 Kepler-1708b <4.6 MJ 1.640.005 AU
(11.7 RP)
<37Possible Neptune-sized exomoon or double planet, indicated by transit observations. [15]
KOI-268 KOI-268.01 9.33 ME 0.470.217 R Hill 0.817Possible exomoon from transit timing variations, [12] since deemed unlikely. [13]
N/A MOA-2015-BLG-337L 9.85 MJ N/A0.24 AU33.7Found by microlensing; however it is unknown if the system is a super-Neptune-mass planet orbiting a free-floating planet, or a binary brown dwarf system. [33]
WASP-12 WASP-12b [34] 1.465 MJ 0.02320.57–6.4 (radius) [35]
6 RPFound by studying periodic increases and decreases in light given off from WASP-12b. Outside of planet's Hill sphere. [26]
WASP-49 WASP-49b 0.37 MJ 0.0379< 1.74 RP~ 0.015Exo-Io candidate; The sodium exosphere around WASP-49b could be due to a volcanically active Io-like exomoon. [27] [21]
WASP-76 WASP-76b 0.92 MJ 0.0331.125 RP~ 0.015Exo-Io candidate; Sodium detected via absorption spectroscopy around WASP-76b [36] is consistent with an extrasolar toroidal atmosphere [37] generated by an evaporating exomoon. [30]
WASP-121 WASP-121b 1.184 MJ 0.02544~ 1.9 RP~ 0.015Exo-Io candidate; The sodium detected via absorption spectroscopy around WASP-121b [38] is consistent with an extrasolar gas torus possibly fueled by a hidden exo-Io. [30]

References

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