Exoplanets
2017 in space
2017 in space | ||
|---|---|---|
Space probe launches  |
|    |
| Impact events | ||
| Selected NEOs | ||
| Exoplanets | ||
| Discoveries | ||
| Comets | ||
| Space exploration |
| |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Ryu, Y.-H. et al[1] |
| Discovery site | Spitzer Space Telescope[1] |
| Discovery date | 2017[1] |
| Gravitational microlensing[1] | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| 2.17 AU (325,000,000 km)[2] | |
| Eccentricity | 0.42[2] |
| 1223.6 [2] d | |
| Inclination | 41.2[2] |
| Star | OGLE-2016-BLG-1190L[1] |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mass | 13.38[1][2] MJ |
OGLE-2016-BLG-1190Lb is an extremely massive exoplanet, with a mass about 13.4 times that of Jupiter (MJ), or is, possibly, a low mass brown dwarf, orbiting the G-dwarf star OGLE-2016-BLG-1190L, located about 22,000 light years from Earth, in the constellation of Sagittarius, in the galactic bulge of the Milky Way.[1][3][4]
“Since the existence of the brown dwarf desert is the signature of different formation mechanisms for stars and planets, the extremely close proximity of OGLE-2016-BLG-1190Lb to this desert raises the question of whether it is truly a ‘planet’ (by formation mechanism) and therefore reacts back upon its role tracing the galactic distribution of planets," according to astronomers reporting the findings.[1][5]
The host star was discovered in June 2016 by the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE) collaboration; the Spitzer Space Telescope observed the microlensing event a few days after its discovery. OGLE-2016-BLG-1190Lb is the first exoplanet discovered by microlensing with the Spitzer space telescope and the first exoplanet discovered lying near the planet/brown dwarf boundary.[1][3] In addition, the discovery "is likely to be the first Spitzer microlensing planet in the Galactic bulge/bar," according to the initial reported study.[1]
