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WASP-12b

Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025

Definition

WASP-12b is an exoplanet, a planet that orbits a star outside our solar system. It is a hot Jupiter-type exoplanet, meaning it is a gas giant planet similar in size to Jupiter but with an extremely close, high-temperature orbit around its host star.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

  1. WASP-12b has an extremely close, high-temperature orbit around its host star, completing an orbit in just over 1 day.
  2. The planet is significantly larger than Jupiter, with a diameter about 1.8 times that of Jupiter.
  3. WASP-12b is one of the hottest known exoplanets, with a surface temperature of around 2,500°C (4,500°F).
  4. The intense heat and gravity of WASP-12b have caused the planet to become tidally distorted, taking on an egg-like shape.
  5. WASP-12b was discovered in 2008 using the transit method, where astronomers detected the slight dimming of the host star's brightness as the planet passed in front of it.

Review Questions

  • Explain how the discovery of WASP-12b contributes to our understanding of exoplanets (Bloom's Level 3)
    • The discovery of WASP-12b provides important insights into the diversity of exoplanets. As a hot Jupiter-type planet with an extremely close, high-temperature orbit, WASP-12b represents an extreme case that challenges our understanding of planet formation and evolution. Its unique characteristics, such as its large size, high temperature, and tidally distorted shape, offer opportunities to study the effects of intense stellar irradiation on planetary atmospheres and interiors, furthering our knowledge of the range of possible exoplanetary systems.
  • Analyze how the properties of WASP-12b relate to new perspectives on planet formation (Bloom's Level 4)
    • The discovery of WASP-12b and similar hot Jupiter exoplanets has prompted a re-evaluation of planet formation theories. These planets' close-in orbits around their host stars suggest that they may have formed farther out and then migrated inward, potentially through interactions with the protoplanetary disk or other planets. This migration process could have significant implications for our understanding of how planetary systems, including our own solar system, take shape. Additionally, the extreme conditions found on WASP-12b, such as its high temperature and tidally distorted shape, provide clues about the complex physical processes that can occur during the formation and evolution of exoplanetary systems.
  • Evaluate how the study of WASP-12b and other hot Jupiters might inform our search for potentially habitable exoplanets (Bloom's Level 5)
    • While WASP-12b and other hot Jupiters are not considered potentially habitable due to their extreme temperatures and atmospheric conditions, the insights gained from studying these exoplanets can indirectly inform the search for habitable worlds. Understanding the range of planetary properties and the processes that shape them, such as migration and tidal effects, can help refine the criteria used to identify potentially habitable exoplanets. Additionally, the techniques developed to detect and characterize hot Jupiters, like the transit method, are also applicable to the search for smaller, potentially Earth-like planets. By expanding our knowledge of exoplanetary diversity through the study of WASP-12b and similar objects, astronomers can better contextualize the conditions necessary for the emergence of life and focus their efforts on the most promising candidate systems.