CoRoT-16b

CoRoT-16b
CoRoT-16 compared to Jupiter
Discovery
Discovered byOllivier et al.
Discovery siteCoRoT space telescope
Discovery date10 June 2011
Transit
Orbital characteristics
Apastron0.0847 AU (12,670,000 km)
Periastron0.0389 AU (5,820,000 km)
0.0618 ± 0.0015 AU (9,250,000 ± 220,000 km)
Eccentricity0.37+0.11
−0.12
5.35227±0.00020 d
Inclination85.01°+0.94°
−1.20°
2,454,923.9145±0.0022 JD
161°+33°
−29°
Semi-amplitude62.6+11.0
−9.9
 km/s
StarCoRoT-16
Physical characteristics
1.17+0.14
−0.16
 RJ
Mass0.529+0.098
−0.096
 MJ
Mean density
0.41+0.22
−0.14
 g/cm3
Temperature1,086 K (813 °C; 1,495 °F)

    CoRoT-16b is a transiting exoplanet orbiting the G or K type main sequence star CoRoT-16 2,433 light years away in the southern constellation Scutum. The planet was discovered in June 2011 by the French-led CoRoT mission. CoRoT-16b was detected using the transit method, which measures the brightness changes during an eclipse. However, this planet has an eccentric orbit, which is unusual due to CoRoT-16b's proximity to its parent star and the age.

    Due to its orbit, CoRoT-16b is classified as a "hot Jupiter". It only takes about 5 days to orbit CoRoT-16, but has an unusually eccentric orbit. CoRoT-16b has 52.9% the mass of Jupiter, but is 17% larger than the latter. Due to the low mass and high radius, CoRoT-16b has 41% the density of water; the orbit gives it an equilibrium temperature of 1,086 K. However, this is only an estimate due to the eccentricity of CoRoT-16b.