WASP-19b facts for kids
WASP-19b is a fascinating extrasolar planet, also known as an exoplanet. This means it's a planet that orbits a star other than our Sun. WASP-19b is special because it has one of the shortest "years" of any known planet. It takes only about 18.932 hours to complete one orbit around its star! To give you an idea of its size, WASP-19b is about 1.31 times bigger than Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system. It orbits a star called WASP-19, which is located in the Vela constellation. In December 2013, scientists using the famous Hubble Space Telescope made an exciting discovery: they found water in the atmosphere of WASP-19b.
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What is WASP-19b?
WASP-19b is a type of exoplanet known as a "hot Jupiter". These are giant planets, similar in size to Jupiter, but they orbit very close to their stars. This makes them extremely hot. WASP-19b is a great example of this, with its super short orbital period.
Where is WASP-19b located?
This exoplanet orbits the star WASP-19. This star is found in the constellation of Vela. Vela is a constellation in the southern sky, meaning you would need to be in the Southern Hemisphere to see it easily.
How big is WASP-19b?
WASP-19b is a gas giant, much like Jupiter. It is about 1.31 times larger than Jupiter. This makes it one of the bigger exoplanets discovered so far.
Discoveries about WASP-19b
Scientists are always looking for new information about exoplanets. WASP-19b has been a target for many studies because of its unique features.
Water in the atmosphere
One of the most important discoveries about WASP-19b happened in December 2013. Scientists using the Hubble Space Telescope found signs of water vapor in the planet's atmosphere. Finding water on an exoplanet is always exciting because water is essential for life as we know it. While WASP-19b is too hot to support life, this discovery helps scientists understand how planets form and what their atmospheres are made of.
Studying its atmosphere
Because WASP-19b passes directly in front of its star from our view, scientists can study its atmosphere. When the planet blocks some of the star's light, they can analyze the light that passes through the planet's atmosphere. This helps them figure out what gases are present, like water vapor or other elements.
Images for kids
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Comparison of "hot Jupiter" exoplanets (artist concept). From top left to lower right: WASP-12b, WASP-6b, WASP-31b, WASP-39b, HD 189733b, HAT-P-12b, WASP-17b, WASP-19b, HAT-P-1b and HD 209458b.
