PSR B1257+12 A

PSR B1257+12 A
Exoplanet List of exoplanets

Size comparison of PSR B1257+12 A with Earth.
(Based on selected hypothetical modeled compositions)
Parent star
Star PSR B1257+12
Constellation Virgo
Right ascension (α) 13h 00m 01s
Declination (δ) +12° 40′ 57″
Distance2315 ly
(710 pc)
Spectral type Pulsar
Mass (m) 1.4? M☉
Radius (r) ~0.00002 R☉
Age 0.8 Gyr
Orbital elements
Semi-major axis(a) 0.19[1] AU
Eccentricity (e) 0.0[1]
Orbital period(P) 25.262 ± 0.003[1] d
Inclination (i) 50[1][note 1]°
Time of periastron (T0) 2,449,765.6 ± 0.2[1] JD
Physical characteristics
Mass(m)0.020 ± 0.002[1][note 1] M⊕
Discovery information
Discovery date 22 April 1994
Discoverer(s)
Discovery method Pulsar timing
Discovery site  United States[2]
Discovery status Published
Database references
Extrasolar Planets
Encyclopaedia		data
SIMBADdata
Exoplanet Archivedata
Open Exoplanet Cataloguedata

PSR B1257+12 A, alternatively designated PSR B1257+12 b, also named Draugr, is an extrasolar planet approximately 2,300 light-years away in the constellation of Virgo. The planet is the innermost object orbiting the pulsar PSR B1257+12, i.e. a pulsar planet in the dead stellar system. It is about twice as massive as the Moon, and is listed as the least massive planet known, including among the planets in the Solar System.[2]

Nomenclature

The convention that arose for designating pulsars was that of using the letters PSR (Pulsating Source of Radio) followed by the pulsar's right ascension and degrees of declination. The modern convention prefixes the older numbers with a B meaning the coordinates are for the 1950.0 epoch. All new pulsars have a J indicating 2000.0 coordinates and also have declination including minutes. Pulsars that were discovered before 1993 tend to retain their B names rather than use their J names, but all pulsars have a J name that provides more precise coordinates of its location in the sky.[3]

On its discovery, the planet was designated PSR 1257+12 A and later PSR B1257+12 A. It was discovered before the convention that extrasolar planets receive designations consisting of the star's name followed by lower-case Roman letters starting from "b" was established.[4] However, it is listed under the latter convention on astronomical databases such as SIMBAD and the Extrasolar Planets Encyclopedia. Hence the alternative designation PSR B1257+12 b.

In July 2014 the International Astronomical Union launched a process for giving proper names to certain exoplanets and their host stars.[5] The process involved public nomination and voting for the new names.[6] In December 2015, the IAU announced the winning name was Draugr for this planet.[7][8] The winning name was submitted by the Planetarium Südtirol Alto Adige in Karneid, Italy. Draugr refers to undead creatures in Norse mythology.[9]

Notes

  1. 1 2 The value of the inclination is assumed to be 50° based on the inclinations of the other two planets in the system, which have inclinations of 53° and 47° respectively. The quoted mass value is based on this assumed inclination.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Konacki, M.; Wolszczan, A. (2003). "Masses and Orbital Inclinations of Planets in the PSR B1257+12 System". The Astrophysical Journal. 591 (2): L147–L150. arXiv:astro-ph/0305536Freely accessible. Bibcode:2003ApJ...591L.147K. doi:10.1086/377093.
  2. 1 2 Dumé, Belle (11 February 2005). "Astronomers find smallest exoplanet". PhysicsWeb. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
  3. ↑ Lyne, Andrew G.; Graham-Smith, Francis. Pulsar Astronomy. Cambridge University Press, 1998.
  4. ↑ Hessman, F. V.; Dhillon, V. S.; Winget, D. E.; Schreiber, M. R.; Horne, K.; Marsh, T. R.; Guenther, E.; Schwope, A.; Heber, U. (2010). "On the naming convention used for multiple star systems and extrasolar planets". arXiv:1012.0707Freely accessible [astro-ph.SR].
  5. ↑ NameExoWorlds: An IAU Worldwide Contest to Name Exoplanets and their Host Stars. IAU.org. 9 July 2014
  6. ↑ NameExoWorlds The Process
  7. ↑ Final Results of NameExoWorlds Public Vote Released, International Astronomical Union, 15 December 2015.
  8. ↑ The Proposals page for Mu Arae, International Astronomical Union, 2016-01-03.
  9. ↑ NameExoWorlds The Approved Names

Media related to PSR B1257+12 A at Wikimedia Commons

Preceded by
PSR B1257+12 C		 Least massive known exoplanet
1994 — 		Succeeded by

Coordinates: 13h 00m 01s, +12° 40′ 57″

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