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HD 209458
Observation data
Epoch J2000
Constellation Pegasus
Right ascension 22h 03m 10.8s
Declination +18° 53′ 04″
Apparent magnitude (V) 7.65
Characteristics
Spectral type F8-G0 V
B-V color index 0.59
U-B color index
Variable type Planetary transit
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)-14.8 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: 28.90 mas/yr
Dec.: -18.37 mas/yr
Parallax (π)21.24 ± 1.00 mas
Distance154 ly (47.1 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)4.29
Details
Mass 1.1 M
Radius 1.2 R
Luminosity 1.61 L
Temperature 6000 K
Metallicity 109%
Rotation 14.4 days
Age 4-7 × 109 years
Other designations
BD +18°4917, SAO 107623, V376 Peg, HIP 108859.
Database references
SIMBAD data

HD 209458 is an 8th magnitude star in the constellation Pegasus. It is very similar to our Sun, and it is classified as a yellow dwarf (spectral class G0 V). Because it is located at a distance of about 150 light years, it is not visible to the unaided eye. With good binoculars or small telescope it should be easily detectable.

HD209458

HD 209458

In 1999 two teams working independently (one team consisted of astronomers at the Geneva Observatory, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and the Wise Observatory; the second group was the California and Carnegie Planet Search team) discovered an extrasolar planet orbiting the star by using the radial velocity planet search method. Soon after the discovery, separate teams led by David Charbonneau and Gregory W. Henry were able to detect a transit of the planet across the surface of the star making it the first known transiting extrasolar planet. The planet received the designation HD 209458 b.

Because the planet transits the star, the star is dimmed by about 2% every 3.5 days making it an extrinsic variable. The variable star designation for HD 209458 is V376 Pegasi.

Planetary system[]

Spectroscopic studies first revealed the presence of a planet around HD 209458 on November 5 1999. Astronomers had made careful photometric measurements of several stars known to be orbited by planets, in the hope that they might observe a dip in brightness caused by the transit of the planet across the star's face. This would require the planet's orbit to be inclined such that it would pass between the Earth and the star, and previously no transits had been detected.

Companion
(In order from star)
Mass
(MJ)
Orbital period
(days)
Semimajor axis
(AU)
Eccentricity
b 0.69 ± 0.05 3.52474541 ± 0.00000025 0.045 0.00


References[]

  • Tsevi Mazeh et al, 2000, "The Spectroscopic Orbit of the Planetary Companion Transiting HD 209458", Astrophysical Journal, vol. 532, pp. L55–L58.


External links[]

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