MOA-2007-BLG-192-L b
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| Extrasolar planet | List of extrasolar planets | |
|---|---|---|
| Parent star | ||
| Star | MOA-2007-BLG-192L | |
| Distance | 3000 ly ({{{dist_pc}}} pc) | |
| Physical characteristics | ||
| Mass | (m) | >3.3 M⊕ |
| Discovery information | ||
| Discovery date | June 02, 2008 | |
| Discoverer(s) | ||
| Detection method | Gravitational microlensing | |
| Discovery status | Announced | |
MOA-2007-BLG-192Lb is an extrasolar planet orbiting the brown dwarf MOA-2007-BLG-192L. At a mass of 3.3 times that of Earth, it is one of the smallest known extrasolar planets. The planet is 3000 light years from Earth and was detected using gravitational microlensing.
MOA-2007-BLG-192Lb orbits its star at 70% of the sun-Earth distance. That means the planet probably formed with lots of ice and gases, more like Neptune (an ice giant planet) in composition than Earth (a terrestrial planet) according to astronomer David Bennett of the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.
The planet's host star is small as well. At roughly 6% the mass of our sun, the star is probably too small to sustain fusion reactions in its core, said Bennett, making it a dimly glowing brown dwarf. [1]
The planet was discovered by the Mount John University Observatory in June 2008.
