WASP-18b is an extrasolar planet that is notable for having an orbital period of less than one day, and is expected to eventually collide into its star WASP-18, perhaps in about a million years. The planet is approximately 1.9 million miles from its star, which is approximately 325 light years from Earth. It was discovered by Coel Hellier, a professor of astrophysics at the Keele University in England.[1]
References
- ^ Suicidal planet seems on death spiral into star, breitbart.com, August 26, 2006
External links
- An orbital period of 0.94 days for the hot-Jupiter planet WASP-18b, Nature, August 27, 2009, by Coel Hellier, D. R. Anderson, A. Collier Cameron, M. Gillon,4, L. Hebb, P. F. L. Maxted1, D. Queloz, B. Smalley, A. H. M. J. Triaud, R. G. West, D. M. Wilson, S. J. Bentley, B. Enoch, K. Horne, J. Irwin, T. A. Lister, M. Mayor, N. Parley, F. Pepe, D. L. Pollacco, D. Segransan, S. Udry & P. J. Wheatley