description WASP-79b Overview
WASP-79b is an inflated hot-Jupiter exoplanet that passes in front of its host star, allowing astronomers to study its atmosphere through changes in the observed starlight. Observations with the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope have reported atmospheric water vapor. Its large size and strong irradiation make it useful for comparative studies of exoplanet atmospheres, including how temperature and composition affect their spectra.
help WASP-79b FAQ
How long is a year on WASP-79b?
WASP-79b completes an orbit in about 3.66 Earth days, making it a hot Jupiter very close to its F-type star. NASA's Exoplanet Archive lists a radius of about 1.53 Jupiter radii and a mass near 0.85 Jupiter masses.
What has Hubble found in the atmosphere of WASP-79b?
Hubble transmission spectroscopy found a water-vapor feature in starlight filtered through the planet's atmosphere. Earlier observations also found an unusual lack of the blue-light scattering that makes Earth's sky look blue, leading to the idea of a yellowish sky.
How does JWST observe WASP-79b?
During a transit, JWST measures how different wavelengths of starlight pass through the atmosphere, a technique called transmission spectroscopy. WASP-79b was selected for JWST NIRSpec work because its 3.66-day orbit creates frequent observing opportunities and its atmosphere has a known water feature.
Why is WASP-79b called an inflated hot Jupiter?
It is larger than Jupiter but has a low-density atmosphere, with the archive listing about 1.53 Jupiter radii for roughly 0.85 Jupiter masses. Its close orbit gives it an equilibrium temperature around 1,700 K, so inflated means physically puffed up, not hollow.
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