WASP-76
system
WASP-76 — a hot F-type star ~634 light-years away in Pisces, host to WASP-76 b, where it RAINS IRON. Its dayside is so hot (~2,400°C) that iron vaporises; winds carry the iron vapour to the cooler nightside, where models indicate it condenses and falls as molten iron rain. Descend to explore this bloated, blistering world.
Open in 3D viewSee WASP-76 in the live, interactive 3D map
Science
Classification
- Type
- Planetary system
- Distance
- ~634 light-years · its real distance from the Sun
- Explore
- Descend to see the star and its confirmed planets
How we know
- Note
- A real star system, shown at its measured position in the galaxy. Its star and confirmed planets — their measured sizes and how each was found — are on the cards inside; descend to explore them. Distances follow Gaia parallax; planet data follow the NASA Exoplanet Archive.
Discovery & history
- Name
- A designation from the Wide Angle Search for Planets (WASP) survey.
Discovered transiting in 2016, WASP-76 b is a puffed-up ultra-hot Jupiter. In 2020 the ESPRESSO spectrograph detected iron vapour on the hot dayside disappearing at the nightside edge — the signature of iron condensing and raining out, one of the most vivid pictures of alien weather yet obtained.
Images
Images from open archives · credit shown per image