Wolf 1061d

Wolf 1061d is an exoplanet orbiting the red dwarf star Wolf 1061
in the Ophiuchus constellation, about 13.8 light years from Earth.
Wolf 1061 d
It is the third and furthest planet in order from its host star in a Discovery
triple planetary system, and has an orbital period of about 217 Discovered by University of New
days.
South Wales,
Australia
Characteristics Discovery site European
Southern
Observatory
Mass, Radius, and Temperature
Discovery date December 18,
Wolf 1061d is known as a Super-Earth, with a mass significantly 2015
greater than that of Earth, but less than the ice giants Uranus and Detection Radial Velocity
Neptune. However, because it was found with the radial velocity method
method and does not transit, only the planet's minimum mass is
Orbital characteristics
known. Wolf 1061d is at least 7.70 MEarth , close to the upper limit
of the Super-Earth range.[1] If the planet is rocky, it would have to Apastron 0.7285 AU
be around 1.7 R🜨. For a more likely mixed composition of both (108,980,000 km)
rock and volatiles, Wolf 1061d would be at least 2.2 R🜨. Periastron 0.2115 AU
(31,640,000 km)
The planet is one of the coldest known Super-Earths, with an +0.15
Semi-major 0.470 −0.17[1] AU
equilibrium temperature calculated to be around 118 K (−155 °C; axis
−247 °F). This is too cold for liquid water and would mean that the
Eccentricity +0.08
planet is entirely coated in ice, depending on its true composition. 0.55 −0.09
However, due to the planet's eccentric orbit, the temperature varies Orbital period +0.55
217.21 −0.52 d
wildly from as high as 176 K (−97 °C; −143 °F) to a low of 95 K (sidereal)
(−178.2 °C; −288.7 °F).
Inclination null
Star Wolf 1061
Orbit Physical characteristics

The orbit of Wolf 1061d is one of the longest observed for a Mean radius ~2.2 R🜨
Super-Earth in orbit around a red dwarf, as well as very eccentric. Mass +1.12
≥7.70 −1.06[1]
The average distance between the planet and the star (the semi-
MEarth
major axis) is 0.470 AU, or 47% the distance between the Earth
and the Sun. This is comparable to Mercury's semi-major axis of Temperature 118 K (−155 °C;
0.387 AU. Unlike Mercury, Wolf 1061d takes 217.21 days to orbit −247 °F)
its host star, compared to Mercury's orbital period of 88 days. It
also has a much higher orbital eccentricity of 0.55, nearly twice as
high as that of Mercury. Wolf 1061d swings from as close as 0.2115 AU to as far as 0.7285 AU during the
course of its year.[1]

Host Star
Wolf 1061d orbits the M3.5V red dwarf Wolf 1061, which is one of the nearest stars to Earth at a distance
of just under 14 light years. It is 0.294 times the radius and about 0.307 times the mass of the Sun with a
temperature of 3342 K and an unknown age. For comparison, the Sun has a temperature of 5778 K and an
age of 4.5 billion years. Wolf 1061 is about 1% as luminous as the Sun.[1]

Habitability
Although the low stellar flux, the presence of additional greenhouse gases like methane or even hydrogen
gas might make Wolf 1061d marginally habitable, due to the high probability of Wolf 1061d being a mini-
Neptune combined with questionable prospects of being habitable for Earth-like life in the conventional
sense makes this exoplanet a poor candidate for being “potentially habitable”.[2]

A re-analysis of the system in March 2017 showed that Wolf 1061d is likely non-habitable; it's too far from
its star and more likely to be a Mini-Neptune, with a minimum mass almost 8 times that of Earth. Even at its
closest approach, Wolf 1061d never enters the system's habitable zone.[1]

See also
List of exoplanets

References
1. Astudillo-Defru, Nicola; Forveille, Thierry; Bonfils, Xavier; Ségransan, Damien; Bouchy,
François; Delfosse, Xavier; et al. (2017). "The HARPS search for southern extra-solar
planets. XLI. A dozen planets around the M dwarfs GJ 3138, GJ 3323, GJ 273, GJ 628, and
GJ 3293" (https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2017/06/aa30153-16/aa30153-16.htm
l). Astronomy and Astrophysics. 602. A88. arXiv:1703.05386 (https://arxiv.org/abs/1703.0538
6). Bibcode:2017A&A...602A..88A (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017A&A...602A..88
A). doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201630153 (https://doi.org/10.1051%2F0004-6361%2F2016301
53). S2CID 119418595 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:119418595).
2. "Planet reality check" (http://www.drewexmachina.com/2015/12/19/habitable-planet-reality-c
heck-wolf-1061/). 19 December 2015. Retrieved 2015-12-20.

External links
Simulated view of the Wolf 1061 system (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5HhX75yceY).
Video created by the University of New South Wales

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