The planet-host star Iota Horologii

Using HARPS on the ESO 3.6-metre telescope at La Silla, astronomers were able to study in great detail the star Iota Horologii, known to harbour a giant planet, and make a very precise portrait of it: its temperature is 6150 K, its mass is 1.25 times that of the Sun, and its age is 625 million years. Moreover, the star is found to be more metal-rich than the Sun by about 50%. This means the star must have drifted from the Hyades cluster where it formed.

Credit:

Digital Sky Survey/VirGO.

About the Image

Id:eso0809a
Type:Observation
Release date:15 April 2008
Related releases:eso0809
Size:800 x 774 px

About the Object

Name:Iota Horologii
Type:Milky Way : Star
Milky Way : Star : Circumstellar Material : Planetary System
Distance:55 light years
Constellation:Horologium
Category:Exoplanets

Image Formats

Large JPEG
116.1 KB
Screensize JPEG
117.3 KB

Wallpapers

1024x768
130.7 KB
1280x1024
191.9 KB
1600x1200
244.9 KB
1920x1200
266.2 KB
2048x1536
343.7 KB

Coordinates

Position (RA):2 41 58.21
Position (Dec):-50° 55' 41.97"
Field of view:41.78 x 40.41 arcminutes
Orientation:North is 1.6° right of vertical

Colours & filters

BandTelescope
OpticalDigitized Sky Survey 2