description TOI-1338 b Overview
TOI-1338 b is a circumbinary exoplanet discovered in 2020 by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). It was the first circumbinary planet identified by the TESS mission, orbiting a binary star system composed of an orange dwarf and a red dwarf located roughly 1,300 light-years away in the constellation Pictor. The planet has a radius approximately seven times that of Earth, making it comparable in size to Saturn. It is the only known planet in this system and is not expected to be habitable due to its gaseous composition.
help TOI-1338 b FAQ
What makes TOI-1338 b a circumbinary planet?
TOI-1338 b orbits two stars instead of orbiting a single star. The system contains an orange dwarf and a red dwarf located roughly 1,300 light-years away.
Who discovered TOI-1338 b?
NASA's TESS mission identified the planet in 2020 from transit data. Wolf Cukier, a high-school student working as a NASA intern, noticed the unusual signal while reviewing TESS observations in 2019.
How long does TOI-1338 b take to orbit its two stars?
Its orbit lasts roughly 95 days. That relatively short period allows the planet to pass in front of one or both stars from Earth's viewpoint.
How is TOI-1338 b different from Kepler-16b?
Both are circumbinary exoplanets, but they belong to different star systems. Kepler-16b was discovered by the Kepler mission in 2011, while TOI-1338 b was the first circumbinary planet identified by TESS.
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