Discovery | |
---|---|
Discovered by | MicroFUN, PLANET/RoboNet, OGLE |
Discovery date | 10 March 2006 |
Gravitational microlensing | |
Orbital characteristics | |
Star | OGLE-2005-BLG-169L |
Physical characteristics | |
Mass | 13.2±1.3 MEarth [1] |
Temperature | ~70 K |
OGLE-2005-BLG-169Lb is an extrasolar planet located approximately 2,700 parsecs (8,800 light-years ) away in the constellation of Sagittarius, orbiting the star OGLE-2005-BLG-169L. This planet was discovered by the OGLE project using the gravitational microlensing method. Based on a most likely mass for the host star of 0.49 solar mass (M☉), the planet has a mass of 13 times that of Earth (MEarth). Its mass and estimated temperature are close to those of Uranus. It is speculated that this planet may either be an ice giant like Uranus, or a "naked super-Earth" with a solid icy or rocky surface. [2]
Gravitational microlensing is an astronomical phenomenon due to the gravitational lens effect. It can be used to detect objects that range from the mass of a planet to the mass of a star, regardless of the light they emit. Typically, astronomers can only detect bright objects that emit much light (stars) or large objects that block background light. These objects make up only a minor portion of the mass of a galaxy. Microlensing allows the study of objects that emit little or no light.
OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb is a super-Earth exoplanet orbiting OGLE-2005-BLG-390L, a star 21,500 ± 3,300 light-years from Earth near the center of the Milky Way, making it one of the most distant planets known. On January 25, 2006, Probing Lensing Anomalies NETwork/Robotic Telescope Network (PLANET/Robonet), Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE), and Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics (MOA) made a joint announcement of the discovery. The planet does not appear to meet conditions presumed necessary to support life.
OGLE-2005-BLG-390L is a star thought to be a spectral type M. This dim magnitude 16 galactic bulge star is located in the Scorpius constellation at a far distance of about 21,500 light years.
The Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE) is a Polish astronomical project based at the University of Warsaw that runs a long-term variability sky survey (1992–present). The main goals are the detection and classification of variable stars, discovery of microlensing events, dwarf novae, and studies of the structure of the Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds. Since the project began in 1992, it has discovered a multitude of extrasolar planets, together with the first planet discovered using the transit method (OGLE-TR-56b) and gravitational microlensing. The project has been led by professor Andrzej Udalski since its inception.
Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics (MOA) is a collaborative project between researchers in New Zealand and Japan, led by Professor Yasushi Muraki of Nagoya University. They use microlensing to observe dark matter, extra-solar planets, and stellar atmospheres from the Southern Hemisphere. The group concentrates especially on the detection and observation of gravitational microlensing events of high magnification, of order 100 or more, as these provide the greatest sensitivity to extrasolar planets. They work with other groups in Australia, the United States and elsewhere. Observations are conducted at New Zealand's Mt. John University Observatory using a 1.8 m (70.9 in) reflector telescope built for the project.
OGLE-2003-BLG-235L (MOA-2003-BLG-53L) is a star in the constellation of Sagittarius. The first gravitational microlensing event for which a planet orbiting the lens was detected around this star. The event occurred in during July 2003. Two groups observed and independently detected the event: the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE) and the Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics (MOA), hence, the double designation. It is an orange dwarf star of spectral type K, which is accompanied by a giant planet.
OGLE-2005-BLG-169L is a dim and distant magnitude 20 galactic bulge star located about 2,700 parsecs away in the constellation Sagittarius. If it is a main sequence star, then it is most likely a red dwarf with about half of the mass of the Sun. Other possibilities are a white dwarf star, or a neutron star or black hole.
MACHO-1997-BLG-41, commonly abbreviated as 97-BLG-41 or MACHO-97-BLG-41, was a gravitational microlensing event located in Sagittarius which occurred in July 1999. The source star is likely a giant or subgiant star of spectral type K located at a distance of around 8 kiloparsecs. The lens star is a binary system approximately 10,000 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius. The two stars are separated from each other by about 0.9 AU and have an orbital period of around 1.5 years. The most likely mass of the system is about 0.3 times that of the Sun. Star A and star B are both red dwarfs.
OGLE-2005-BLG-071L is a distant, magnitude 19.5 galactic bulge star located in the constellation Scorpius, approximately 11,000 light years away from the Solar System. The star is probably a red dwarf with a mass 43% of that of the Sun.
OGLE-2006-BLG-109L is a dim magnitude 17 M0V galactic bulge star approximately 4,920 light-years away in the constellation of Scorpius.
OGLE-2006-BLG-109Lc is an extrasolar planet approximately 4,920 light-years away in the constellation of Sagittarius. The planet was detected orbiting the star OGLE-2006-BLG-109L in 2008 by a research team using Microlensing. The host star is about 50% the mass of the Sun and the planet is about 90% the mass of Saturn.
OGLE-2005-BLG-071Lb is a planet discovered by the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE) and others in 2005, using gravitational microlensing. According to the best fit model, it has about 3.5 times the mass of Jupiter and a projected separation of 3.6 astronomical units from the star. This would result in an effective temperature around 50 K, similar to that of Neptune. However, an alternative model which gives a slightly lower mass of 3.3 times that of Jupiter and a projected separation of 2.1 AU is only slightly less likely. It may be the most massive planet currently known around a red dwarf star.
MOA-2007-BLG-192Lb, occasionally shortened to MOA-192 b, is an extrasolar planet approximately 3,000 light-years away in the constellation of Sagittarius. The planet was discovered orbiting the brown dwarf or low-mass star MOA-2007-BLG-192L. At a mass of approximately 3.3 times Earth, it is one of the lowest-mass extrasolar planets at the time of discovery. It was found when it caused a gravitational microlensing event on May 24, 2007, which was detected as part of the MOA-II microlensing survey at the Mount John University Observatory in New Zealand.
OGLE-2003-BLG-235Lb/MOA-2003-BLG-53Lb is an extrasolar planet discovered in April 2004 by the OGLE and MOA collaborations. Its high mass indicates that it is most probably a gas giant planet similar to Jupiter. It is located around 4.3 AU away from its parent star.
MOA-2007-BLG-192L is a low-mass red dwarf star or brown dwarf, approximately 3,000 light-years away in the constellation of Sagittarius. It is estimated to have a mass approximately 6% of the Sun's. In 2008, an Earth-sized extrasolar planet was announced to be orbiting this object.
OGLE-2007-BLG-368Lb is an extrasolar planet located approximately 19,230 light-years away in the constellation of Scorpius, orbiting the star OGLE-2007-BLG-368L. This planet was detected on December 8, 2009 by the gravitational microlensing by Sumi. It has mass 6.94% of Jupiter and is located 3.3 AU from the star when observed. Based on those properties it would classify as a Cold Neptune. It is the second Cold Neptune to be observed, the first being OGLE-2005-BLG-169Lb. This planet is most likely be similar to Uranus and Neptune in the Solar System in terms of atmospheric and internal properties.
The Microlensing Follow-Up Network is an informal group of observers who monitor high magnification gravitational microlensing events in the Milky Way's Galactic Bulge. Its goal is to detect extrasolar planets via microlensing of the parent star by the planet. μFUN is a follow-up network - they monitor microlensing events identified by survey groups such as OGLE and Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics (MOA).
OGLE-2016-BLG-1195Lb is an extrasolar planet located about 22,000 light-years from Earth, in the galactic bulge, orbiting the 0.57±0.06M☉ star OGLE-2016-BLG-1195L, discovered in 2017. The planet was detected using gravitational microlensing techniques managed by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute and the Spitzer Space Telescope. Initially, it was believed the planet has a mass similar to Earth and is located about the same distance from its host star as the Earth is from the Sun, although it was expected to be much colder.
OGLE-2011-BLG-0462, also known as MOA-2011-BLG-191, is a stellar-mass black hole isolated in interstellar space. OGLE-2011-BLG-0462 lies at a distance of 5,000 light years in the direction of the galactic bulge in the constellation Sagittarius. The black hole has a mass between 3.6 and 8.0 M☉ The discovery of OGLE-2011-BLG-0462 makes this object the first truly isolated black hole found. OGLE-2011-BLG-0462 was discovered through microlensing when it passed in front of a background star that was 20,000 light years away from Earth. The black hole's gravity bent the star's light, causing a sharp spike in brightness that was detected by the Hubble Space Telescope. It took six years to confirm the existence of OGLE-2011-BLG-0462. Its initial kick velocity has been estimated to have an upper limit of 100 km/s. No significant X-ray emission has been detected from gas accreting onto the black hole indicating that it is truly isolated.