TOI-1338 b

In today's article we will delve into the fascinating world of TOI-1338 b. Since its inception, TOI-1338 b has been the subject of interest and study, capturing the attention of those seeking to further understand its nuances and complexities. Throughout history, TOI-1338 b has been the protagonist of countless debates, discussions and reflections, being a topic that encompasses a wide range of perspectives and approaches. With so much to discover and analyze, it is evident that TOI-1338 b continues to be a topic of relevance today, sparking the interest of academics, enthusiasts and the curious alike. In this article, we will explore the highlights of TOI-1338 b, diving into its history, evolution, and its impact on various areas of society.

Not to be confused with its star system, TOI-1338.
TOI-1338 b
Artist's impression of the TOI-1338 b exoplanet.
Discovery
Discovered byWolf Cukier
Discovery date31 July 2019
Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite
Orbital characteristics
0.4607+0.0084
−0.0088 AU[1]
Eccentricity0.0331+0.0022
−0.0021
95.4001+0.0062
−0.0056 days
Inclination90.494+0.013
−0.014 °
StarTOI-1338
Physical characteristics
0.683 RJ[2]
Mass11.3±2.1 M🜨[2]
Mean density
398 kg/m3[3]

TOI-1338 b is a gas giant circumbinary exoplanet in the constellation Pictor, orbiting around the binary star system TOI-1338. First identified by then-17-year-old Wolf Cukier, it was the first circumbinary planet discovered by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).[4] It was discovered on 31 July 2019, and announced 6 January 2020.[5][6]

Located 1,318 light years[a] away from Earth, the exoplanet has a radius of 16,991 kilometers (10,558 miles),[b] a mass roughly 12.3 times that of Earth,[c] and a mean density of 398 kg/m3 (24.84 lb/ft3).[3][7]

Discovery and nomenclature

Wolf Cukier, a 17-year-old attending Scarsdale High School in New York at the time, joined the Goddard Space Flight Center in 2019 to work as a summer intern. While studying data that was flagged as an eclipsing binary (provided by volunteers of the Planet Hunters citizen science project), he found the planet on his third day of interning.[8][9] Its discovery was announced on 6 January at the 235th American Astronomical Society meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii.[10] He and 6 other volunteers later co-authored a publication about the planet.[1] Cukier then attended Princeton University and graduated in 2024.

The acronym TOI stands for "TESS Objects of Interest." In February 2021, a petition was launched calling for the planet to be renamed SOPHIE in honor of late Scottish musician Sophie.[11][12] The petition was supported by Charli XCX and Caroline Polachek.[11] It was unsuccessful in officially renaming the planet, however the International Astronomical Union announced that the minor planet 1980 RE1 would be given the permanent name Sophiexeon in June 2021.[13]

Notes

  1. ^ this is the same as 12.5 quadrillion kilometers, or 7.7 quadrillion miles
  2. ^ 6.9 times the Earth radius
  3. ^ this is roughly equal to 73.46 septillion kilograms (also known as 73.46 "brontograms"), or 161.95 septillion pounds

References

  1. ^ a b Kostov, Veselin B.; Orosz, Jerome A.; Feinstein, Adina D.; Welsh, William F.; Cukier, Wolf; Haghighipour, Nader; Quarles, Billy; Martin, David V.; Montet, Benjamin T.; Torres, Guillermo; Triaud, Amaury H. M. J.; Barclay, Thomas; Boyd, Patricia; Briceno, Cesar; Cameron, Andrew Collier (2020-05-07). "TOI-1338: TESS' First Transiting Circumbinary Planet". The Astronomical Journal. 159 (6): 253. arXiv:2004.07783. Bibcode:2020AJ....159..253K. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ab8a48. ISSN 1538-3881.
  2. ^ a b "TOI-1338 b - NASA Science". science.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
  3. ^ a b "⬤ Exoplanet TOI 1338 A b". Stellar Catalog. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
  4. ^ Wang, Mu-Tian; Liu, Hui-Gen (2024-06-25). "Photo-dynamical Analysis of Circumbinary Multi-planet System TOI-1338: A Fully Coplanar Configuration with a Puffy Planet". The Astronomical Journal. 168 (1): 31. arXiv:2404.18415. Bibcode:2024AJ....168...31W. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ad4a60. ISSN 1538-3881.
  5. ^ Hess, Abigail Johnson (2020-01-10). "17-year-old discovers planet 6.9 times larger than Earth on third day of internship with NASA". CNBC. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
  6. ^ Kazmierczak, Chris Smith and Jeanette (2020-01-06). "NASA Scientific Visualization Studio | TESS Satellite Discovered Its First World Orbiting Two Stars". NASA Scientific Visualization Studio. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
  7. ^ Pereira, Ivan. "New York teen discovers new planet while interning with NASA". ABC News. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
  8. ^ Pereira, Ivan (January 9, 2020). "New York teen discovers new planet while interning with NASA". ABC News.
  9. ^ "Discovery Alert! High School Student Finds a World With Two Suns". Exoplanet Exploration: Planets Beyond our Solar System. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
  10. ^ Hess, Abigail Johnson (2020-01-10). "17-year-old discovers planet 6.9 times larger than Earth on third day of internship with NASA". CNBC. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  11. ^ a b "SOPHIE fans call for NASA to name a planet after the late musician". Dazed. 3 February 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  12. ^ Richards, Will (30 January 2021). "DJ and producer SOPHIE has died". NME. Archived from the original on 30 January 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  13. ^ "WGSBN Bulletin, Volume 1, #3" (PDF). International Astronomical Union. 2021-06-16. ISSN 2789-2603. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 October 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2023.