WASP-74b

Lore & Background

WASP-74 b was announced in 2015 as part of the SuperWASP survey's ongoing search for transiting exoplanets. It orbits its host star, WASP-74, a metal-rich F9 subgiant located about 487 light-years from the Sun. The planet completes one orbit every 2.13775138 days at a very close distance, resulting in an equilibrium temperature of roughly 1,865 K.

The planet's mass is 0.72 Jupiter masses and its radius is 1.312 Jupiter radii, giving it a relatively low density consistent with inflated hot Jupiters. Its orbit is circular and well-aligned with the stellar equator, with a measured sky-projected spin-orbit angle of 0 degrees. The star's high metallicity may have contributed to the formation of this massive close-in planet.

Reader's Guide

WASP-74 b contributes to the population of hot Jupiters known to orbit metal-rich stars, supporting theories that high stellar metallicity enhances giant planet formation. Its well-aligned, circular orbit suggests a quiescent dynamical history, possibly without significant migration through gravitational scattering. The planet's inflated radius relative to its mass makes it a useful target for studying atmospheric escape and thermal expansion under intense stellar irradiation. As a transiting object around a relatively bright star (apparent magnitude 9.75), it is amenable to follow-up observations such as transmission spectroscopy, which can probe its atmospheric composition. The precise orbital period and alignment also allow accurate measurements of the star's properties through transit timing and Rossiter-McLaughlin analyses. WASP-74 b remains a benchmark for understanding the relationship between stellar composition and planetary characteristics in the hot Jupiter regime.

Did You Know?

• WASP-74 b has an equilibrium temperature of approximately 1,865 K.
• The planet orbits its star every 2.13775138 days.
• The sky-projected spin-orbit angle is 0 degrees, indicating alignment with the stellar equator.